Smokers will continue to be permitted to light up in Connecticut's Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos after the state House of Representatives declined to consider a proposal to extend the state's indoor-smoking law to gaming facilities, the New London Day reported May 7.

The United Auto Workers union, which recently won the right to represent dealers at Foxwoods, had been lobbying for the ban, but was opposed by casino owners and some construction unions, including some who feared the ban could curtail expansion plans at the two casinos. House Speaker James A. Amann said that informal polls found that two-thirds of Democratic lawmakers in the House opposed extending the ban to the casinos.

The bill passed the state Senate last week, but even if it had passed the House, Gov. Jodi Rell has promised to veto the measure.

The Mohegan and Pequot tribes contended that the state lacked jurisdiction over the casinos. "The tribal council has said all along that they were ready to sit down and discuss this important public health issue on a government-to-government basis," said Chuck Bunnell, chief of staff for the Mohegan Tribe. "Hopefully we can begin that process now that they have taken the threats off the table here."