Anti-smoking bills clear Va. Senate panel

A Senate panel on Tuesday advanced legislation to prohibit smoking in schoolyards and public buildings such as the legislative office tower in Richmond where some officials light up.

One of the bills from Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk would extend the existing ban on smoking inside schools to cover outdoor school property such as ball fields and playgrounds.

Northam said the legislation would discourage children from picking up the habit by preventing school personnel from puffing in their presence.

Similar legislation has already been snuffed out in the House of Delegates this year.

Northam said his other bill, SB468, would ban smoking in state government buildings, including legislative and judicial facilities, meaning it would apply to the General Assembly Building where some lawmakers still smoke.

It would also allow localities to adopt ordinances prohibiting smoking in their public buildings.

The House extinguished a similar bill Tuesday.

Both of Northam’s anti-smoking bills passed the Local Government Committee, a committee in the Republican-controlled Senate on which Democrats have a majority.