Read more: State, Education, Oklahoma, Smoking Ban, College
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A proposal to allow a smoking ban on college campuses in Oklahoma has passed the Oklahoma Senate.
Senate Bill 1674 was approved Thursday on a 29-11 vote. The bill gives the Oklahoma State Board of Regents the authority to ban smoking at any public college or university in the state.
The measure was authored by Sen. James Halligan, R-Stillwater, the former president of Oklahoma State University. Halligan referred to smoking as a "scourge on our society."
The measure prompted concern among several conservative lawmakers that the bill chips away at the ability of citizens to engage in a legal activity.
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