House postpones smoking ban

To the delight of more than a dozen anxious veterans spending their third day on Capitol Hill, an effort to postpone the smoking ban in Utah fraternal organizations passed the House Friday morning.

HB273, sponsored by Rep. Curtis Oda, R-Clearfield, seeks to allow smoking in fraternal organizations until January 2009, when private clubs and taverns are legally required to go smoke-free.

The bill would amend a law approved by the 2006 Legislature that banned smoking in private clubs, taverns, fraternal organizations and country clubs.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars reported a decrease in profits at many of its 37 posts around the state since January, when they were required to go smoke-free. Longtime customers, they say, are now patronizing businesses where smoking is still allowed.

Oda, a vocal critic of last year's legislation, said that HB273 simply brings fairness to the situation. It is, he said, an issue of equality.

"No one's disputing the health issues of tobacco today. We know it's dangerous," Oda said. "That's not the issue here. At this point, we're strictly looking at giving business and economic parity with the fraternal clubs."

One VFW post has closed since the smoking ban took effect last month, and two others are on the verge of going out of business, he said. The organization reports losses of between $3,700 and $10,000 over previous Januaries.

The Northern Utah lawmaker noted that the only lodges not feeling an economic loss are those in rural areas, without competing private clubs or taverns nearby.

House members voted 58-12 to extend the effective date of last year's law to January 2009. They also resisted an effort to move up the date and require that all businesses, including fraternal clubs, go smoke-free in 2008.

The sponsor of that failed amendment, Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, said the move would offer equality and "allow us to stay with the commitment we have made."

"It's a public health issue," Ray said. "I think everybody in this body knows that smoking kills."

Friday's debate, however, centered on economics, not the pros and cons of smoking and secondhand smoke.

"This is really a fiscal impact bill," said Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper. "The bill and health issues were thoroughly debated last year."

HB273 now goes to the Senate for its consideration.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com