Schwarzenegger Vetoes Bill to Increase Extent of Smoking Bans

Gregory Mottola
Posted: October 22, 2007

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill aiming to remove some of the few smoking exemptions permitted under state law.

The state prohibits smoking inside all enclosed spaces in places of employment. Few exemptions exist, such as owner-operated bars and banquet rooms. Democrat Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier proposed a bill that would strip many of these establishments of their exemptions. Assembly Bill 1467 states, "This bill would remove the exemptions that permit smoking in specified bars, warehouses, hotel lobbies, employee break rooms, and meeting and banquet rooms while retaining exemptions for other types of businesses. This bill would also prohibit smoking in specified owner-operated businesses regardless of whether or not they have employees."

Before making its way to Schwarzenegger, the bill passed the Assembly in May and the Senate in August. On October 14, Schwarzenegger rejected the bill with this response in an official memorandum to the Assembly, "This bill would remove a limited number of exemptions found in current law that permit smoking in specified bars, warehouses, hotel lobbies, meeting and banquet rooms, and businesses without employees…While more needs to be done to reduce smoking rates, I do not agree that placing further restrictions on business owners is the correct approach. Instead, California can further reduce smoking rates in other ways, such as increasing access to cessation services offered through the highly effective California Smokers' Helpline."

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