CASINOS: THE LAST FRONTIER FOR SMOKING?
Minnesota stands poised to enact a statewide smoking ban that
would prohibit smoking in bars and restaurants across the state.
So far, attempts to mediate the impact of the ban by exempting
such places as American Legion and VFW halls have fallen short.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has pledged to sign the bill.
If the measure is enacted, the few places that smoking would be
permitted would be the state's 18 Indian casinos, which would
not be covered by the law.
The debate over a statewide smoking ban is reaching a potential
denouement at the Capitol, with a Senate vote possibly as early
as this week. As the debate has continued, never far beneath the
surface is the issue of the casinos, the Indians and tribal
sovereignty.
