Bill Seeks to Silence Secondhand Smoking Activist

Bill Seeks to Silence Secondhand Smoking Activist
February 24, 2006

News Summary

A Nebraska advocate for indoor-smoking bans is being targeted by a lawmaker who is trying to outlaw some of his tactics, KETV reported Feb. 23.

State Sen. Pat Bourne has introduced a bill to make it illegal to file a frivolous complaint alleging a violation of the state's indoor smoking law. Mark Welsch, president of the Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution, has filed more than 100 complaints against businesses over the past two years alleging such violations.

The state law allows businesses to decide whether to ban smoking, allow it, or allow it only in designated areas.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering the measure, which calls for a $1,000 fine for filing a frivolous complaint.

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