BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – A proposal to ban smoking in Baton Rouge bars and casinos has fallen one vote short of approval.
The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1S7zYU4 ) that members of the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council debated the proposed ordinance for more than two hours Wednesday before a tie vote extinguished the measure.
None of the six council members who voted against the ordinance offered an explanation for their votes. The proposal’s six sponsors voted in favor.
Casino executives warned of a 20 percent drop in revenue if the ordinance passed. Employees of L’Auberge Casino and Hotel spoke out against the proposal, saying they were more concerned about lost revenue than having smoke in their workplace.
A coalition of doctors, public health officials and bar owners urged council members to support the measure.
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Information from: The Advocate
