Senators nix one of three smoking bills

Wednesday, March 5th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Anti-smoking forces suffered a setback Tuesday when the Senate narrowly defeated one of three bills that would ban smoking in restaurants and other public places.

The bill by Sen. Ben Robinson was voted down 24-22 but kept alive on a procedural move for a possible vote in the next three legislative days.

Several senators said the bill goes too far in telling business owners what they can do.

The defeat led to cancellation of a scheduled vote on a similar measure, authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson and House Speaker Larry Adair.

``The vote on Senator Robinson's bill was a clear indication that we have some work to do,'' said Sen. Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater. Morgan was assigned by Hobson to usher his smoking ban bill through the Senate.

A third measure on the House calendar, by Rep. Ray Vaughn, R-Edmond, proposes a statewide vote on a smoking ban.

Robinson's bill would outlaw smoking in most public places, including workplaces. It was amended to allow smoking in bowling alleys as well as taverns and cigar bars.

Seventeen of the Senate's 20 Republicans voted against the measure, as did seven of 28 Democrats. Two senators were absent.

Sen. Mike Fair of Oklahoma City, one of two Republicans voting for the bill, kept it alive on an a motion to reconsider the vote.