Montgomery, AL – A bill to ban smoking in restaurants in Alabama has passed a House committee and moved closer to receiving final passage.
The House Government Operations Committee approved the smoking ban Wednesday on a voice vote after some debate on what definition to use to differentiate between a restaurant and a bar.
The bill by Sen. Vivian Davis Figures of Mobile passed the Senate last week. Figures has tried for several years to pass bills restricting smoking in public places, but she has not had success. She said she is trying again this year with a simpler bill that only applies to restaurants.
Figure's bill defines a restaurant as a business that primarily serves food. She said she would consider amending it on the House floor to give a more specific definition.
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