Yet another state banning smoking is Denver, Colorado.


The Pueblo Cheiftain has reported that the State Sen. Dan Grossman, D-Denver, has teamed up with Parker Rep. Mike May, a Republican, and introduced a strict Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act into the Colorado Legislature in its opening week that he hopes will fare better than a similar ban he proposed during last year's session.


Like last year's measure, Grossman's ban would affect all but a few select buildings that are open to the public.


"This is a political year and this thing is wildly popular," Grossman said in assessing his odds in actually getting a statewide smoking ban through the Legislature.


Grossman ended up withdrawing his own measure last year after other legislatures tacked on a slew of exemptions, so that it was virtually meaningless.


The measure is only one of nearly 200 bills introduced during the first three days of the 2006 session.


"I had made a commitment to the restaurant association and to anti-smoking advocates that if it got watered down, I wouldn't pass it," Grossman said. "For the state to do this kind of sets the bar for local governments, and if you have too many holes in it than it becomes less useful than having nothing. There are so many local governments out there that have varying degrees of restrictions."