It's not exactly the venue you'd envision for a Saturday night performance. But Bugg's Bar in South St. Paul has become the latest stage for a statement.

"We're doing it because we've lost so much business, and we're trying to get people back out, trying to get them back in the community, trying to get them back in the bars," said Crystal Bentson, Manager of Bugg's Bar.

Patrons at Bugg's Bar paid two dollars for a sticker entitling them to a role in the bar's production Saturday night. It also gave them an opportunity to light up, if they desired.

You can call it the second act in an ongoing drama. Turns out, dozens of bars across the state are now treating the smoking ban like a brief intermission.

Kenn Rockler of the Tavern League of Minnesota said he's heard from more than a hundred bar owners looking for the latest way to deal with a ban they say is bad for business. They think they've found it, in a once little known exemption in the state smoking ban that allows smoking in theatrical productions.

"Maybe the people who did the exemption weren't aware what would happen with it," Rockler said. "But again, those people are the same people that said businesses wouldn't suffer.

Rockler estimates more than four thousand people have lost their jobs since the ban went into effect on October 1, 2007.

Lawmakers say they're already poised to close the loophole. State Senator Kathy Sheran sponsored the law last year, she said the current activity undermines the intention to "protect people from smoke in all of these places."

Sheran recalls voting for the exemption, but she said it's obvious bar owners are writing a whole new script.

"It's creative, it's clever, it shows us a loophole in the law that people will want to find their way through," she said. "But it will require us to find resources to go back."

Lawmakers, the Minnesota Health Department and State Attorney General are all exploring ways to control the loophole.

Meantime, the theater-exemption exists only in the state smoking ban. At this point, five counties and seven cities have local smoking bans that have more authority than the state version. That means bar owners in those areas will likely not be able to bring back smoking by hosting a play.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=499865


(theres video at the host link)

And all the legislators have already been paid, what to do, what to do?

quote:

State Senator Kathy Sheran sponsored the law last year, she said the current activity undermines the intention to "protect people from smoke in all of these places."

Her law is definitely protecting the 4,000 employees who've lost their jobs.

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/index/news/local/news_poll.html


Please refer to the above link if you are a smoker who feels you have lost all rights to choose.

Please click this link or cut and paste it into your browser, you will see a news poll that states,” DO you agree with the smoking ban”. If you are a smoker who wants to restore some freedom of choice please select, “ no “ then submit it. You do not have to leave your name or comments.

There is a group of about 30 people who sit in front of a sponsored computer and vote every hour, they are against smoking so they vote yes, this is how the ban was put in place, by using deceptive tactics .

Since they are not playing by the rules we should respond using the same method.

You can vote as many times as possible, just once every hour, and for as many days as you want to.

Thanks for your help in restoring some form of freedom.

Also please tell as many people that smoke to vote. Thanks, a ton. Doral ultra lights, 3 packs a day.

I think an idea to consider is to not vote at all, so when the score is Yes 10,000 No 0, you can laugh at those dumbasses for sitting around pushing a button every hour like a trained monkey. A lop-sided vote should tell all what a joke it is.

Good luck with those scumbag antis.

I was going to make (another) remark about this website. The last comment was posted September 2007. I truly don't think it is being monitored by anyone.

I tried posting there months ago. It will not accept any comments.
And I agree with not voting at all, it would send a much clearer signal if these things are actually taken as "factual" evidence at all,
OH wait, what am I saying, of course it will be taken as conclusive, overwhelming and definitive proof that the world is indeed flat.