Treat Breathes New Life in to Local Non-Smoking Controls
Local control-of-smoking bill to get hearing in Oklahoma Legislature
By Michael McNutt
A bill that would let Oklahoma cities and towns craft their own anti-smoking laws will be heard next week after being stalled by a Senate committee chairman the first two weeks of this year’s session.
Senate Bill 36, which would change state law and allow cities to pass their own smoke-free ordinances, has been reassigned to the Senate General Government Committee. Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, has placed the bill on his committee’s agenda, which will be taken up at 10:30 a.m. Monday.
The bill had been sent to the Senate Health and Human Services committee. Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, the committee’s chairman, said earlier this week he would not grant it a hearing. He refused to hold a hearing for a similar measure last year. He didn’t ask for SB 36 to be reassigned.