Casino workers seethe as smoking ban bill is delayed yet again in New Jersey Legislature

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A bill that would end smoking in Atlantic City’s casinos continues to go nowhere. The measure had been planned for a preliminary vote Thursday in a state Senate committee. But the head of that committee, Sen. Joseph Vitale, says it lacked enough votes to move forward. Some Atlantic City casino workers have been pushing for nearly three years for a smoking ban. Most of the state Legislature has signed on as co-sponsors and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has promised to sign it. But some lawmakers want to hear details of what they say are compromise proposals from the casinos, including the idea of enclosed smoking rooms.