In the US, the Michigan Legislature concluded the 2008 legislative session without reaching an agreement regarding a state-wide smoking ban.
Despite strong efforts, including a final conference committee meeting which began at 12:40am, the Legislature failed to reach an agreement over the proposed ban. In December 2007, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a smoking ban which allowed an exemption from this prohibition for the Detroit casinos and cigar bars. On May 8, 2008, the Michigan Senate passed its substitute version for the bill, which provided for a total smoking ban and removed the exemptions for cigar bars and the Detroit casinos. This substitute was defeated in the Michigan House in September. Leadership from both chambers agreed to send the measure to a ‘conference committee’ to seek to reach a compromise.
Thus the bill was not enacted into law during the 94th Michigan Legislature. As such, the bill has effectively died. If the smoking ban issue is going to be examined by the Legislature in 2009, a new bill will need to be proposed.
