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DENVER - The Senate on Friday gutted a bill aimed at banning smoking in casinos, voting 18-17 to allow gamblers to light up at the slots and tables as long as smoking is still allowed in cigar bars and the smoking lounge at Denver International Airport.
Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, said he asked for the change because he doesn't think it's fair to have any exemptions in the state's smoking ban, which took effect last year. Hagedorn supported exempting casinos, cigar bars and the smoking lounges at Denver International Airport last year to pass the bill but he said that was just a starting point. He hopes the changed bill puts pressure on lawmakers to get rid of all exemptions.
"Now we're on step two and maybe you'll see us hop, skip and jump to step three," Hagedorn said.
However, he acknowledged that could be difficult since lawmakers who oppose any kind of smoking ban also backed his measure along with those who think it would hurt business at casinos, costing the state money in lost taxes.
Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, told fellow senators that she's worried gamblers will decide to get cheap flights to Las Vegas, where they can smoke, rather than drive to Black Hawk, Cripple Creek or Central City.
Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, who co-sponsored the bill to ban casino smoking, said he didn't think that would happen because smokers probably couldn't last that long without a cigarette.
The House has already voted to ban smoking in casinos, but Gordon said he wasn't sure what would happen next in the Senate.
The measure still must pass a second vote in the Senate, and it's possible it could be turned back into a casino smoking ban if supporters can change at least one senator's mind.
But for now the House and Senate are once again in opposition on smoking.
When the first statewide smoking ban was considered two years ago, the House passed it but the Senate killed it. Last year the Senate approved the ban 19-15.
Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, said he asked for the change because he doesn't think it's fair to have any exemptions in the state's smoking ban, which took effect last year. Hagedorn supported exempting casinos, cigar bars and the smoking lounges at Denver International Airport last year to pass the bill but he said that was just a starting point. He hopes the changed bill puts pressure on lawmakers to get rid of all exemptions.
"Now we're on step two and maybe you'll see us hop, skip and jump to step three," Hagedorn said.
However, he acknowledged that could be difficult since lawmakers who oppose any kind of smoking ban also backed his measure along with those who think it would hurt business at casinos, costing the state money in lost taxes.
Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, told fellow senators that she's worried gamblers will decide to get cheap flights to Las Vegas, where they can smoke, rather than drive to Black Hawk, Cripple Creek or Central City.
Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, who co-sponsored the bill to ban casino smoking, said he didn't think that would happen because smokers probably couldn't last that long without a cigarette.
The House has already voted to ban smoking in casinos, but Gordon said he wasn't sure what would happen next in the Senate.
The measure still must pass a second vote in the Senate, and it's possible it could be turned back into a casino smoking ban if supporters can change at least one senator's mind.
But for now the House and Senate are once again in opposition on smoking.
When the first statewide smoking ban was considered two years ago, the House passed it but the Senate killed it. Last year the Senate approved the ban 19-15.
