Dan Savage was down from Seattle this weekend, to emcee Portland’s Pride festival last night. He and his boyfriend went out on Saturday night, hopping from bar to bar downtown. When we met up on Sunday, I predictably got an earful about how awfully smoky Portland’s bars are, and how behind the curve we are on banning stinky cigarettes. (Dan’s a bit of an anti-smoking zealot, famous for harassing employees who’ve ducked out for a puff by yelling “STOP SMOKING” as he’d pass by. You’ve probably read his anti-smoking rants here on Blogtown, too.)

This time I was glad to have a comeback: “The legislature’s about to ban it!” I told him.

“Yeah, but it won’t go into effect until 2009,” he replied, having read the local papers.

He’s right—Sen. Ginny Burdick recently explained to me that it can’t take effect until January 2009, because of the ban’s projected impact on the state’s revenue. And since the state budget is only written every two years, we can’t start the ban until we’ve got a new budget that reflects the impact.

Savage called bullshit when I relayed that logic—he says Washington’s ban hasn’t had any effect on that state’s revenue. Indeed, the Puget Sound Business Journal reported last week that “gross business income for [Washington] taverns and bars grew 0.3 percent in 2006, compared with a 1.1 percent average annual growth rate from 2002 to 2005, according to the state Department of Revenue.” Their ban went into effect in December 2005.

But Oregon Republicans aren’t concerned about bar and restaurant revenues—they’re worried about cigarette taxes and lottery cash. “The ban is predicted to cost the state government tens of millions of dollars in lost cigarette taxes and reduced lottery revenues,” as the Oregonian reported, adding that “state revenue officials estimate the ban will drop cigarette tax revenues by about $25 million a year. In addition, a coalition of the R.J. Reynolds cigarette company and about 400 bar owners estimates the ban will reduce lottery sales by $72 million to $135 million a year.”

Over those objections, today the state senate re-voted on the measure to approve some changes inserted by the house. It’s headed to the governor’s desk. And it won’t take effect for a year and a half. As they say, smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em! Or keep avoiding bars for awhile, if you can’t stand the smoke.

Burdick’s announcement of the bill’s passage is after the cut.

Senate Re-Passes Senate Bill 571 to expand the Clean Indoor Air Act

Landmark legislation now heads to the Governor for signature

Salem – With the end of the 2007 regular session on the horizon, the Oregon Senate re-passed Senate Bill 571 to expand the Clean Indoor Air Act. The bill was a product of months of public hearings and debate and will provide nearly all Oregon employees with clean air, free of secondhand smoke.

“The passage of this legislation is a major accomplishment of the 2007 Legislature, and a victory for public health that will be enjoyed by all Oregonians,” Senator Ginny Burdick (D-Portland/Tigard) said. “This bill closes the gap in the Clean Indoor Air Act that has allowed thousands of Oregon employees to be bombarded by secondhand smoke in bars and taverns, bingo halls, bowling alleys, and employee lounges.”

Senate Bill 571-C expands the indoor smoking ban to include bingo halls, bars, taverns and restaurants. Extending the smoking ban will reduce the unnecessary exposure of workers to secondhand smoke. This is beneficial for both employees and employers, as workers will miss fewer days of work and will enjoy lower health care costs. Employers reduce operating costs and increase savings as a result of the reduced risk of fire and smoke damage as well as reducing the need for better indoor air circulation, heating, and cooling.

“This bill is for the Rebecca Duffys of Oregon: single moms who must choose between providing for their families and their personal health,” Senator Burdick said, referring to a terminally ill woman with lung cancer who gave compelling testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. “This is not a bill to restrict the rights of smokers, except in that one instance where their rights are exercised in such a way as to endanger the health of others.”

Senate Bill 571-C now heads to Governor Kulongoski for his signature.