A bill introduced into the Colorado Legislature is taking aim at exemptions to the state’s smoking ban, and could cost cigar smokers the ability to light up in their local shop.

H.B. 1076 would remove a number of exemptions from the state’s existing indoor clean air act, including retail tobacco stores, hotel rooms, airport smoking rooms and concessions, places of employment that are not open to the public and have three or fewer employees, and smoking areas of assisted living facilities. Additionally, business owners would not be allowed to designate certain spaces as smoking or non-smoking by way of signage.

The bill is being sponsored by Reps. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-30, and Colin Larson, R-22, as well as Sens. Kevin Priola, R-25, and Kerry Donovan, D-5. It is scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 6 in the House Health & Insurance Committee. It would go into effect on July 1 if it passes.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.