Passed in 2006, the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "bans smoking in restaurants, grocery stores, bars that serve food and most places open to children. Casino gaming floors, strip bars and stand-alone bars are exempt." Some casino companies, like Herbst Gaming, backed a softer version of the same bill but voters weren't buying it.
Bar owners and others appealed the Act in District Court, where Judge Douglas Herndon stripped out its criminal penalties. If you violate the law, you can still be hit with a $100 fine, though.
On April 6, proponents (who included the Nevada Resort Association) and opponents like the Tavern Owners Association, faced off before the Nevada Supreme Court. The latter set a 30-90 day time frame for handing down a ruling but it's now nigh upon four months since oral arguments were heard.
We spoke with a clerk who said that the timing of the ruling is at the court's discretion and that there's no indication when the Supremes will render their verdict. We're sorry we couldn’t be more helpful with this one.
