Kansas - goes smoke-free on July 1, 2010..

June 30, 2010 - Starting Thursday, July 1st a new state law is to ban smoking in all restaurants, bars and workplaces — except certain private clubs and state-run casinos. With only hours before Kansas is scheduled to go smoke-free in public places, owners of bars, bingo parlors and private clubs are seeking to block the ban in court. A Shawnee County District Court Judge said he would rule by 5 p.m. today, June 30th on a request for a temporary injunction against the statewide smoking prohibition. The business owners hope to delay the ban while they challenge the landmark law. (Judge will rule on request for temporary injunction against Kansas smoking ban by DAVID KLEPPER
The Star’s Topeka correspondent, KansasCity.com, 6/29/2010)

The District Court judge this afternoon, June 30th granted an injunction that will block implementation of the smoking ban - but ONLY for 28 private clubs. Lawyers for private clubs, bars, bingo parlors, and a pool hall had asked Judge Franklin Theis to delay implementation of the law while they challenge its constitutionality.

Theis opted to delay only a provision that outlawed smoking in the 28 private clubs that received licenses after January 1, 2009. For all other bars, restaurants and workplaces, the ban goes into effect at midnight.

References: BREAKING: Judge allows Kansas smoking ban to go forward, but not for all, Submitted by David Klepper, PrimeBuzz.KCStar.com, 6/30/2010; Smoking ban to move forward for most Kansas businesses, Wichita Business Journal, 6/30/2010.


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