Subscribe to Cigar Rights of America RSS feeds and get the most up-to-date cigar-related legislative news for West Virginia. http://www.cigarrights.org/xml/news/news_WV.xml http://www.cigarrights.org/favicon.ico http://www.cigarrights.org/images/CRA08small.jpg en-us CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ), FEB 25 -- A Kanawha County Magistrate found a bar owner guilty of violating the county's smoking ban. Kerry Ellison, the owner of the Blackhawk Saloon was in court Wednesday. He's accused of blatantly defying Kanawha County's smoking ban. "I wish I had customers that came in as frequently as (the health department)," Ellison told the magistrate during opening statements. Ellison pleaded not guilty. He didn't have a lawyer with him at the hearing so he presented opening statements and cross examined a witness. http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/40278007.html Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:57 -0800 West Virginia CHARLESTON, W.Va., MAR 16 -- Newest bad bill of the session: Legislation introduced in the House (HB2932) to require county commissions to approve any public health department restrictions on smoking in public or private places. The sponsors, including Delegate Mike Caputo, D-Marion, insist that it is not about overturning smoking bans, but to bring "transparency" to the policymaking process of public health boards. However, it's curious then that the bill applies only to smoking regulations - not any other health regulations those boards might enact. It's also bad public policy, since boards of health were intentionally designed to be beyond the reach of politics. (The idea is to avoid scenarios where a politician could overrule health inspectors' shutting down a restaurant for serious health code violations because the owner happens to be a relative or friend of the politico.) http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/PhilKabler/200903150390 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:07 -0800 West Virginia MAR 15 - Ever wish that you could go back in time and fix the mistakes you've made in your life? While Marion County delegates haven't developed a time machine to take us all back to last spring, they have introduced a bill that could “fix” a mistake that was made when a smoking ban was passed without any regard for public opinion. And not only would it “fix” our mistake, it would prevent any other county in the state without a smoking ban from making the same mistake. http://www.timeswv.com/editorials/local_story_074044221.html/resources_printstory Sun, 15 Mar 2009 07:51 -0800 West Virginia The Waco City Council is voting on a prospective smoking ordinance on Tuesday. The council will vote on whether to add additional restrictions to the current policies or to ban smoking altogether except in private locations and retail tobacco stores. Through either method, the council hopes to lessen secondhand smoke to non-smokers. Waco's current smoking ordinance generally forbids smoking at indoor workplaces but allows smoking in bars, small food establishments and small businesses. http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/66749102.html 28 Oct 2009 11:11 -0800 West Virginia CLARKSBURG -- The debate over Harrison County's controversial 100 percent smoking ban is over. The Harrison-Clarksburg Board of Health held a regular meeting Wednesday morning. Board member Bernie Fazzini asked the board to consider another exemption to the ban, allowing owners of free-standing bars and video lottery establishments the right to choose to allow smoking. http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=80062 19 May 2010 11:11 -0800 West Virginia THE issue of smoking in Cabell County bars and private clubs has apparently gotten some folks in the county in a snit and high dudgeon. But will it change the outcome of the Cabell-Huntington Health Department excess levy on the May ballot? Commercially produced campaign signs are popping up around the county calling for the defeat of the county health department excess levy. http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/DavePeyton/201004250468 26 Apr 2010 11:11 -0800 West Virginia MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The Berkeley County Board of Health this week voted 2-0 to adopt changes to the county’s indoor air regulation to exempt retail tobacco stores from the rules. Board member George Karos was absent for the meeting on Monday and Ruby Foltz recently resigned from the board. Board chair Joy Buck, who only votes to break a tie, was not present for the meeting either, but authorized county health officer Diana Gaviria to preside in her absence, Berkeley County Health Department administrator Bill Kearns confirmed. Gaviria, according to state code, is to act as the board’s secretary and is a nonvoting member. http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=245834&format=html&autoreload=true 21 May 2010 11:11 -0800 West Virginia PARKERSBURG -New smoking regulations - effectively banning smoking rooms in bars and restaurants - goes into effect next month and business owners are fuming. In November 2009, the Mid-Ohio Valley Board of Health fine tuned its anti-smoking regulations. The new regulations go into effect Oct. 1, rendering smoke facilities recently built by many local bars and restaurants, moot. Owners who built the smoke rooms in compliance with the health department regulations, are complaining, but say they have little recourse. http://newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/539210/New-smoking-regulations-have-business-owners-fuming.html?nav=5054 19 Sep 2010 11:11 -0800 West Virginia PARKERSBURG - Claiming their rights have been violated and small business profits are being hurt, about 50 people turned out at Bicentennial Park to protest the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department's smoking ban. The final phase of the ban, which went into effect Oct. 1, prohibits all smoking inside bars and restaurants and renders recently constructed smoking rooms useless. "We want (the health department) to know we are not going to put up with it," Cheryl Metz said. Metz was one of the protesters holding a sign encouraging more rights for smokers. http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/540280.html 19 Oct 2010 11:11 -0800 West Virginia CHARLESTON -- A plan to pay down the state's retiree benefit obligations was snuffed out by lawmakers Feb. 28 after Senate leaders tried to tie it to an increase in the state's tobacco tax and mandating insurance coverage for autistic children. The Senate Finance Committee voted 9 to 8 against passing a bill to shore up the state's other post-employments benefits program, or OPEB, after committee leaders amended it to include a tax hike for cigarettes and other tobacco products. http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=95118 28 Feb 2011 11:11 -0800 West Virginia CHARLESTON, W.Va. - While indoor smoking bans may help provide safer workplaces, they don't necessarily decrease smoking rates. In 1995, about 25.8 percent of West Virginians said they smoked on a regular basis. That number had changed very little by 2009 despite the fact that 20 counties had enacted smoking bans. In 2009, the rate was 25.4 percent. http://www.dailymail.com/News/201106071145 8 Jun 2011 11:11 -0800 West Virginia Aug. 31--Morgantown City Council will consider delaying the effective date of its smoking ban until Jan. 1, 2012. Now, the law to ban smoking in all restaurants, bars and workplaces within city limits is set to go into effect Oct. 1. City Manager Terrence Moore and City Attorney Steve Fanok recommended the change during council's Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday. If the delay is adopted, it would give the city more time to work with the Monongalia County Board of Health (BOH) on a county-wide smoking ban. http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/201108310400 31 Aug 2011 11:11 -0800 West Virginia CHARLESTON, W.Va. --A newly appointed member of a county board of health can vote on matters involving the county's ban on smoking in public places -- even though she was a member of an organization that sued to have the ban overturned, the state Ethics Commission determined Thursday. However, commissioners ruled that she should recuse herself if any matters involving the lawsuit come before the board of health. http://wvgazette.com/News/201111030131 3 Nov 2011 11:11 -0800 West Virginia WHEELING - Smokers can keep puffing away inside the casino without being told to snuff out their cigarettes - at least for now. A proposed plan to expand a countywide smoking ban has been suspended indefinitely. The Wheeling-Ohio County Board of Health on Tuesday voted to table the measure that would have made the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, video gambling parlors and gambling areas inside bars 100 percent smoke-free. http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/563041/Smoking-Ban-s-Expansion-Tabled.html?nav=515 14 Dec 2011 11:11 -0800 West Virginia PARKERSBURG - A Wood County Circuit Court judge is prepared to issue a partial ruling on a smoking ban but has also requested more information before doing so. Judge Jeff Reed sent a letter earlier this month to attorneys involved in the civil suit over the Clean Indoor Air Regulations between the Hill House Pub and the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department. http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/555444/Judge-delays-smoking-ruling.html?nav=5061 23 Dec 2011 11:11 -0800 West Virginia