State House lawmakers killed a bill Friday that would have exempted bars and nightclubs from Hawaii’s ban on smoking in public places.
House Bill 2306 would have allowed bar and nightclub owners to post "smoking permitted" signs in their establishments. It had advanced out of the House Economic Revitalization and Business Committee on Thursday, but on Friday it was recommitted to the committee — essentially shelved.
Still, it was the first time such a proposal has even cleared a committee since the Hawaii’s smoking ban took effect in 2006.
"I’m disappointed because I believe in designated smoking areas," state Rep. Cindy Evans (D, North Kona-South Kohala), a sponsor of the bill, said Friday.
Evans said the bill would not have opened the doors for businesses other than bars or nightclubs to allow smoking.
Also recommitted Friday was a House bill that would have imposed a statewide fee on disposable plastic and paper checkout bags. The bill had advanced out of two committees and was waiting on House approval to be heard by the House Finance Committee.
Robert Harris, director of the Sierra Club Hawaii chapter, said he was startled when he heard that House Bill 2260 was recommitted. He said he hopes the House will consider the Senate version of the bill.
"The public support has been really high," Harris said.
State Sen. Mike Gabbard (D, Waikele-Ko Olina), one of the sponsors of the companion bill moving through the Senate, said he still has hopes the bag fee will become law at the end of the 2012 session. The idea behind the fee is to encourage shoppers to bring their own reuseable bags and to raise money for environmental programs.
"I’m hopeful that it will pass out, and I’m also hopeful that we’ll see a change of perspective over there in the House in the coming weeks," Gabbard said. "It just seems like this is the right time. It’s all about timing."
State Rep. Denny Coffman (D, Keauhou-Honokohau), chairman of the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee and sponsor of HB 2260, said House leadership informed him the measure was inadvertently recommitted.
Coffman said he will work on building support for the proposal in the House and plans to hear the Senate version if and when it crosses over.
