Va. to restrict bar, restaurant smoking

RICHMOND, Va., March 10 (UPI) -- Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has signed a bill banning smoking in many of Virginia's bars and restaurants, calling it a "monumental step forward for public health."

Beginning Dec.1, smoking will be prohibited in bars and restaurants except in private clubs, on some outdoor patios and in cases where rooms have separate ventilation, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The legislation resulted from weeks of closed-door bargaining involving Kaine and Virginia Republican House Speaker William J. Howell, the newspaper said.

"I am extremely proud to have been a part of the coalition that made this day a reality, and I am thrilled to place my signature on this monumental step forward for public health in Virginia,'' Kaine said as he signed the measure in Virginia Beach.

The legislation promises to intensify the magnitude of tobacco as a political issue in a state whose economy was originally based on -- and still relies heavily on -- tobacco, the Post said.

Virginia Democrats accuse Robert F. McDonnell, a leading candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, of opposing the smoking ban on behalf of Altria Group, based in Richmond -- the parent company of Philip Morris USA and the largest cigarette manufacturer in the world.

McDonnell received more campaign contributions, $35,000, and gifts that any other Virginia politician in 2008, the report said.

Republicans pointed out that the top three contenders for the Democratic nomination -- state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe and former delegate Brian Moran -- received substantial contributions from Altria.

McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said McDonnell supports the idea of smoke-free bars and restaurants but he thinks the decision should be left to individual business.