Rookverboden staat New York al in de revisie
Al twee maanden nadat voor de hele staat New York algehele rookverboden werden ingesteld in de horeca wordt er al weer aan geknabbeld. De oppositie neemt toe en dat heeft zijn weerslag op de politiek.
In twee wetsvoorstellen wordt voorgesteld om de wetten te verzachten en roken weer toe te staan in bars waar een aparte rookruimte is aangelegd.
These proposals reflect the mounting opposition to the new law among politicians, smokers, and bar and restaurant owners across the state.
The state ban, which goes into effect July 24, would apply to localities that either do not have antismoking laws, or that have less restrictive ones.
The proposals, if approved, would amend the state law by essentially incorporating several of the city exemptions, and in some cases, expanding upon them.
For instance, the city ban allows bars and nightclubs to operate separately ventilated smoking rooms for up to three years, while the state ban does not.
The Assembly and Senate proposals would allow the smoking rooms to remain indefinitely in restaurants, as well as bars. The proposals would also restore a city exemption for establishments personally operated by their owners.
In addition, the Senate proposal would provide a tax incentive to those who build smoking rooms by allowing them to deduct the depreciation on such investments over a shorter period. For instance, a restaurant owner who spends $50,000 to create a smoking room would now reap a tax benefit of $320 a year over 39 years. Under the proposed change, the same owner would receive $4,166 a year over three years.
