Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell signed a $27.8 billion budget more than three months into the state’s fiscal year, ending the longest-running financing delay of any U.S. state. The plan, which the Senate approved yesterday and the House passed Oct. 7, raises cigarette taxes and permits gambling on poker, blackjack and other so-called table games at casinos, which were previously limited to slot machines. Lawmakers continue debating how mu ... Jump to full article >>

Group will be part of smoking ban court case in November PIERRE – The American Cancer Society won another battle Tuesday in its campaign to reduce the number of places where people can legally smoke tobacco in South Dakota. The cancer society and its South Dakota governmental affairs director, Jennifer Stalley, will get to take part in the court fight over whether there is a statewide vote next year on South Dakota’s new law banning ... Jump to full article >>

CLAYTON, MO (KWMU) – The fate of efforts to allow St. Louis County residents to vote on a smoking ban in November now rests with County Executive Charlie Dooley. The County Council Tuesday night approved the measure calling for the election on a 4-3 vote. The ban covers most indoor areas – bars and the gaming floors of casinos are the major exemptions. Those exemptions disappointed the American Cancer Society and other groups. They a ... Jump to full article >>

Claim made that 9,891 signatures on petitions are invalid PIERRE Ð Opponents of South Dakota’s new state law banning smoking in bars, casinos and restaurants that serve alcohol might not get the chance to put the issue to a statewide vote after all. That’s because the leader of South Dakota’s anti-tobacco movement filed a last-hour challenge to their referendum petitions Thursday. The referendum petitions had prevented the ban ... Jump to full article >>

BATON ROUGE — The Senate overwhelmingly agreed to legislation this morning that would expand Louisiana’s smoking ban to include bars and casinos. The 22-10 vote on Senate Bill 186 by Sen. Rob Marionneaux Jr., D-Livonia, came after lawmakers rejected two attempts to weaken the legislation and sets up a showdown on the House floor, where a similar bill awaits a vote. Marionneaux said the bill is designed to “put everyone on an eq ... Jump to full article >>