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Senate sends substitute smoke‑free restaurants bill back to committee after floor objections
Summary
Lawmakers debated a substitute to Senate Bill 88, which would create a 'smoking restaurant' framework; opponents argued the substitute imposes substantial burdens on small businesses and requires added ventilation/subscription fees, and the Senate voted to send the substitute back to the Health Committee for a public hearing.
Senate Bill 88 (smoke‑free restaurants) returned to committee after senators objected that a floor substitute contained substantive provisions the Health Committee had not vetted.
Senator Hilliard offered the substitute on the floor (SEG 1766–1776). Senator Money moved the substitute be sent back to the Health Committee for public hearing and consideration, stating the floor substitute was sufficiently substantive that the committee should review it in a public forum (SEG 1798–1805). Opponents including Senator Hilliard and Senator McAllister argued the calendar constraints made committee referral impractical and that the substitute's amendments could be debated on the floor (SEG 1814–1840).
Senator Shepherd, speaking as a critic of immediate passage, said the substitute imposed "a heavy burden to be placed on small business owners" and expressed concern about unclear ventilation fee language (SEG 1821–1829). The Senate resolved the dispute by a division vote; the motion to send the substitute back to Health Committee passed by division (SEG 1853–1856). The substitute will therefore be reconsidered in committee before the Senate acts further.
