By Alan Miller KFYR [04/05/05]


Both sides agree that the North Dakota legislature is going to adopt a strict anti-smoking bill... but the house and the senate have to work out a few details.

The bill would prohibit smoking in public workplaces.

The house version exempts bars, while the senate version exempts bars for two years.

One item that isn't addressed in either version... although conference committee members are considering it... is providing a penalty for the person who lights up in the wrong place.

Rep. Gary Kreidt/(R) New Salem: "You can wind up with a situation where you could have someone come in that continuously comes in and lights up a cigarette, and yet that individual, you know, there is no repercussion towards that individual."

Both versions of the no smoking bill only place a penalty on a business owner or manager who fails to keep someone from smoking in a public workplace.