House Votes To Ban Smoking In State Owned Casinos

A bill extending the 2010 statewide smoking ban to state-owned casinos has cleared the Kansas House.

The 97-26 vote on Wednesday sends the measure to the Senate.

Legislators approved the ban last year but critics complained that the state wasn’t treated the same as private businesses that were forced to comply.

The bill would ban smoking at the state’s casino in Dodge City and those under construction in Sumner and Wyandotte counties.

Opponents of extending the ban argue that prohibiting smoking will reduce the potential revenue generated by the casinos for the state. One estimate is that Kansas and local governments could see a decrease of $16 million in the coming year from what was projected.

Efforts to repeal the overall statewide ban failed during Tuesday’s House debate.