A statewide smoking ban will receive its first hearing of the session Tuesday at the Capitol.
Lawmakers on the Senate Health Committee will hear testimony on the legislation that bans smoking in all workplaces. Maureen Busalacchi of Smoke Free Wisconsin says it's promising to see the bill moving forward quickly, with the hearing coming just a week after the bill was introduced.
Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Weston) has said he wants to bring the bill up for a vote on the Senate floor by next week, and the Assembly is also expected to hold a vote on that day as well.
Busalacchi says it's hard to predict if the legislation will pass as proposed, or if lawmakers will attempt to delay the effective date for taverns. She says other states have had to fight through numerous amendments on the floor and she doubts the debate will be any different here.
The hearing was announced Monday morning, just 24 hours before it was scheduled to take place. That prompted concerns from opponents about limiting who will be available to testify on the legislation. Busalacchi admits the short notice could have an impact on how many people can turn out to testify.
The Assembly has also scheduled a Wednesday hearing for similar legislation.
