A proposal to ban smoking in the Capitol offices of Missouri House members has been snuffed out by a committee.
The House Rules Committee rejected the office smoking ban Tuesday on an 8-4 vote, with all Republicans against it and all Democrats for it. House rules already prohibit smoking in the hallways and the chamber while lawmakers are in session. But legislators can allow smoking in their own offices.
House Democrats recently adopted a policy that all of their offices would be smoke-free. On Tuesday, Democrats tried to apply that to everyone by inserting it into the official House Rules. Rules Committee Chairwoman Jeanie Riddle, a Republican from Mokane, said House members often work long, irregular hours and should be free to decide their own office policies.
