The Kansas legislature is not even in session and lawmakers are working on bills to ban smoking in state-owned casinos. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Four casinos would be affected
The Kansas legislature won’t reconvene for more than a month, but the state’s casinos are already on notice that their ability to allow smoking may be nearing an end.
According to Wichita’s KWCH, multiple bills are in the works that would ban smoking at Kansas’ four state-owned casinos: Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Dodge City, Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel in Pittsburg, and Kansas Star Casino in Sumner County.
Tribal-owned casinos would be exempt from the potential no-smoking laws. The next Kansas legislative session opens January 13, 2025.
Casino workers group backs legislation
Among the groups in favor of a smoking ban is CEASE Kansas, founded by Joe Hafley, a security guard at Hollywood Casino. CEASE received the American Lung Association’s Unsung Hero award this year.
It’d be nice to not have to take a shower after the day, when I get off work.”
“They get it on their clothes and bring it home to their families and their children and wives and spouses,” Hafley told KWCH, referring to casino workers. “You don’t want them to hug you or anything like that. It’d be nice to not have to take a shower after the day, when I get off work.”
Lawmakers in neighboring Missouri are considering similar measures.
Hafley added that 85% of people in both Kansas and Missouri don’t smoke and thus CEASE has “lots and lots of support.”
New Jersey casino workers not giving up
New Jersey casino workers have long been at the forefront of the fight against smoking in their workplaces, but unfortunately have repeatedly come up short.
Smoking is permitted on 25% of New Jersey casino floors. In 2023, it looked like a bill to close that exception had momentum, but state Senator Vince Polistina, who had been for a casino smoking ban, suddenly reversed course on the legislation when it was about to be up for a vote in the New Jersey Senate’s Health Committee.
worried that they will lose customers if patrons are no longer allowed to smoke
Sen. Polistina said that he was working on a bill that he felt would be a better compromise between workers and casinos, the latter of which is worried that they will lose customers if patrons are no longer allowed to smoke.
Casino workers, many of whom have suffered health problems from being around smoke all day, then took the next step and sued the state to close the casino smoking loophole, but in late August, Judge Patrick Bartels dismissed the lawsuit, saying that being around second-hand smoke did not “intrude upon a person’s right to pursue safety” because they could always seek employment somewhere that does not allow smoking.
The plaintiffs will likely appeal the decision to the New Jersey Supreme Court.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
