No Agreement on Smoking Ban Bill

A state senator says a last-minute veto threat from Gov. Ed Rendell has derailed a proposed compromise on legislation to ban smoking in most public places in Pennsylvania. Rendell issued the threat today, saying he will veto any bill that pre-empts a stronger ban enacted by the city of Philadelphia. Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, who wrote the compromise bill, says a joint House-Senate committee was ready to vote on his bill, which would have stopped local governments from passing their own laws on smoking. However, McIlhinney said a majority on the committee fell apart after Rendell's veto threat Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow reconsider.
McIlhinney says he hopes a revised bill can be ready as soon as tomorrow.