RICHMOND, Va., Mar 10, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has
signed a bill banning smoking in many of Virginia's bars and restaurants,
calling it a "monumental step forward for public health."
Beginning Dec.1, smoking will be prohibited in bars and restaurants except in
private clubs, on some outdoor patios and in cases where rooms have separate
ventilation, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The legislation resulted from weeks of closed-door bargaining involving Kaine
and Virginia Republican House Speaker William J. Howell, the newspaper said.
"I am extremely proud to have been a part of the coalition that made this day a
reality, and I am thrilled to place my signature on this monumental step forward
for public health in Virginia,'' Kaine said as he signed the measure in Virginia
Beach.
The legislation promises to intensify the magnitude of tobacco as a political
issue in a state whose economy was originally based on -- and still relies
heavily on -- tobacco, the Post said.
Virginia Democrats accuse Robert F. McDonnell, a leading candidate for the
Republican gubernatorial nomination, of opposing the smoking ban on behalf of
Altria Group, based in Richmond -- the parent company of Philip Morris USA and
the largest cigarette manufacturer in the world.
McDonnell received more campaign contributions, $35,000, and gifts that any
other Virginia politician in 2008, the report said.
Republicans pointed out that the top three contenders for the Democratic
nomination -- state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, former Democratic National Committee
Chairman Terry McAuliffe and former delegate Brian Moran -- received substantial
contributions from Altria.
McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said McDonnell supports the idea of smoke-free
bars and restaurants but he thinks the decision should be left to individual
business.
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