Lawmakers spend $46,466 to clear Capitol air of smoke

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma Legislature, which is considering banning smoking in lawmakers' offices, has spent more than $46,000 on air purifiers during the last several years to help clear the

Wednesday, March 27th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma Legislature, which is considering banning smoking in lawmakers' offices, has spent more than $46,000 on air purifiers during the last several years to help clear the Capitol's air of secondhand smoke.

Figures obtained by The Associated Press indicate that the state House has spent $38,591 since 1995 to buy 98 air purifiers for the offices of lawmakers and House employees. The cost does not include maintenance of the machines, House Clerk Larry Warden said.

The state Senate has bought 13 air purifiers at a total cost of $7,875, Senate spokesman Paul Sund said, bringing the total cost to taxpayers to $46,466.

Lawmakers who want to ban smoking in the Capitol said the expense of the purifiers is another argument in favor of legislation to prohibit lawmakers from lighting up in their offices.

``There's a lot better way for us to be spending taxpayer dollars than buying air purifiers at the Capitol,'' said Rep. Ray Vaughn, R-Edmond, co-author of the measure.

The measure, already passed by the Senate, has been assigned to a committee that last month refused to consider a bill opposed by tobacco lobbyists that would prohibit smoking in public places.

House Speaker Larry Adair, D-Stilwell, said he has urged the chairman of the committee, Rep. Lloyd Fields, D-McAlester, to hear the Capitol smoking bill.

``I recommended to Representative Fields that it ought to be scheduled,'' Adair said. ``I want this issue resolved. I have more important things to deal with.''

Fields' Commerce, Industry and Labor Committee meets Wednesday but the measure is not on the agenda. Fields, a smoker, was reportedly ill Tuesday and was not available for comment.

Adair said some of the air purifiers purchased by the House were installed to help clear the air of dust and mold.

``This is an old building,'' he said.

But Adair, a nonsmoker, said he is concerned about potential taxpayer liability from Capitol employees and visitors who may be exposed to secondhand smoke.

A legislative assistant assigned to Rep. Carolyn Coleman, R-Moore, announced her resignation last week over health problems aggravated by secondhand smoke.

``She's probably going to be asking for some workers compensation,'' Adair said.