Kentucky Smoking Ban Bill Pronounced Dead

A bill that would create a broad ban on smoking in Kentucky’s public places has been declared dead by one of its main sponsors.

On Thursday, Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, told several media outlets that the chances of House Bill 173 moving through the House were so remote that it would take riots outside the Capitol, according to WAVE3.com, adding that political reasons were the main culprit for the bill’s demise. She mentioned that with Democrats looking to protect their 54-46 majority in the House, not enough were willing to get behind the controversial bill as they headed into reelection campaigns.

The bill had gained the support of Gov. Steve Beshear, but it was members of his administration that told Westrom that the bill didn’t appear to have enough support to pass. Beshear had been contacting representatives individually to ask for their support.

The bill passed its first House committee in early February, but supporters knew it would be an uphill battle to get it through the main floor and onto the state Senate. It was the fourth consecutive year that Westrom had brought the legislation to the Kentucky House of Representatives. Westrom indicated that she would bring the bill back in 2015, when she thinks she might be able to garner more votes.

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 Major League Baseball, 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.