That was the Senate.  The Republican controlled Senate.  That said, all but one of the votes against the ban came from the GOP delegation so not everyone lost their minds on the issue, but it only takes two or three.  All but one Democrat voted in the affirmative.

Enter the House of Representatives.  You know, bicameral legislature, that whole deal.  After a pretty good sized delay the bill finally made it's way across the hall at the Capitol where... drum roll please... absolutely nothing has happened yet.  The hold up?  Some House Democrats are worried that banning smoking in bingo parlors and the Detroit casinos will KILL JOBS!  (All caps is still the text equivalent of screaming, right?)  The Detroit News reports:

Rep. Bert Johnson, D-Detroit, is among those who oppose the harsher Senate version. He said he fears it would hurt business and cause layoffs at the Detroit casinos...

"It's about jobs," Johnson said. "I have people at home who get hurt when (Detroit's) casinos are threatened."

Brenda Clack, who heads up the Black Caucus all the way from Flint echoes the same concerns on behalf of her members, most from Detroit.

Consistency is increasingly difficult these days, especially in Lansing but I can't help but wonder how the good Representatives from Detroit justify banning smoking in any private business establishment if they understand, as evident from Representative Johnson's statements, that doing so would kill jobs.  It's not like Casinos exist in some magical fairy land and cigarette ashes are pixie dust.  There's nothing special or unique about them in the context of customer nicotine habits.  

Then again, I could be over thinking things.  I suppose it's possible that there are entire House districts in Detroit entirely devoid of restaurants, clubs and bowling alleys.  It's possible I've been wrong all along and Johnson is 100% consistent in his position.  Maybe he doesn't have any constituents who employ people but has plenty whose employment depends on Casino gaming.  And if that's the case I sincerely apologize.  

Read on...