Another attempt to ban indoor smoking in the state of Mississippi died in committee on Tuesday, a swift demise for what was being hailed as broad and sweeping changes to the current smoking laws in the state. House Bill 739 was introduced by Rep. Bryant Clark, D-47, to the state house on January 20 and referred to the House Public Health and Human Services Committee upon its introduction. Had it passed, it would have banned smoking in public and private places of employment, private clubs, residential facilities, and certain outdoor public places. Additionally, it would prohibit smoking in all enclosed areas and would extend to vehicles owned, leased or operated by the state or its subdivisions as well as property adjacent to places where smoking would be prohibited by creating a 20 foot no smoking zone from entrances, windows and ventilation systems to buildings. It also required the clear posting of no smoking signs in places of employment and other public places covered by the bill. The bill provides no exemptions for cigar stores, retail tobacco shops or cigar lounges. The move was heralded by Cigar Rights of America, with executive director J. Glynn Loope taking to Facebook on Wednesday to say that “we ...
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