Opinions vary on the effect the proposed smoking ban will have in Mount Pleasant workplaces.

The bill, which passed in the Michigan State Senate 25-12 Thursday, would ban smoking in all Michigan restaurants, bars, casinos and public workplaces.

A similar bill in the state House passed, but it gave exemptions to casinos, cigar bars and bingo halls. The revised bill will now head back to the House for final approval.

Fred Phillips, owner of Freddie’s Tavern, 705 S. Adams St. believes such exemptions prove the state is being hypocritical.

“The first time they tried to do it, they tried to exempt bowling alleys, now they’re exempting casinos,” he said. “If you have a health issue and that’s why you’re doing this, then it should be a blanket; it should cover everybody. Let’s not pick and choose.”

A conference committee will be established to reach an agreement between the two proposals. The bill will then be given to Gov. Jennifer

Granholm for final approval.

“It’s not the government’s business to tell me what to do,” Phillips said. “They should just keep their noses out of it.”

Melissa DeRoche of the Central Michigan District Health Department hopes the bill gets to Granholm before the end of the summer. DeRoche feels Michigan should join the ranks of other states and cities such as Los Angeles, New York City and Illinois in passing a smoking ban.

“It just took one brave state or one brave city to start the ball rolling and it has had nothing but positive effects so far. I think for the health of our citizens it’s the right thing to do,” DeRoche said. “Hopefully the Michigan legislature will also be able to come to that same wise conclusion that smoking should not be allowed in public establishments.”

It remains unclear how Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort will be effected since it resides on the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Reservation, which is a sovereign nation under federal law.

State Representative Bill Caul, R-Mount Pleasant, said he has never smoked in his life and is a supporter of the American Cancer Society. Yet, Caul is currently opposed to the proposed smoking ban because of the economic imbalance that Soaring Eagle would create competing against a smoke-free state and city.

“It has the potential to have some effect, and any time you set up an area where one entity is able to participate in something and somebody else isn’t, it’s going to have some impact,” Caul said. “So I think its up to (business owners) to make that choice and if people choose not to frequent their establishment then they’re going to make that choice that they’re not losing those customers, but at this point I feel that it’s their decision.”

Dave Scholten, Division Manger for LaBelle Management, said his company has begun making many of its restaurants non-smoking, and said the choice has been beneficial.

“Overall we support the non-smoking thing,” Scholten said.

He said making Pixie Restaurant, 302 N. Mission St., smoke free has been a benefit because the consumer prefers that atmosphere.

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