KS Supreme Court To Hear Smoking Ban Arguments

Kansas Supreme Court justices are scheduled
to hear arguments over a portion of the statewide smoking ban that
some bar owners say could put them out of business.
Wednesday’s arguments stem from a 2010 Shawnee County District
Court injunction that blocked a provision of the statewide ban that
applies to a specific class of private clubs.
The Downtown Bar and Grill in Tonganoxie received its club
license in May 2009, five months after a cutoff date contained in
the law. The bar’s attorney says the date was arbitrary and would
force his client out of business if he had to comply with the ban.
State attorneys say the cutoff was designed to keep bars from
circumventing the ban by changing their licensing.