Super. As near as anyone can figure, the language coming out of the state House on smoking would force bars and clubs to abandon all-ages and 16-and-over concerts — or ban smoking by adults at all other times.
Unless we have elected a bevy of closeted music haters, I doubt that was the intention. But intentions do not matter when the clumsy blunderbuss of government is uncorked.
Meanwhile, it is precisely this “adult or not” angle that has spurred the state’s restaurant association to jump off the sidelines to oppose any smoking ban bill. The restaurant gang figured as long as bars had to face a ban on smoking too, no competitive advantage would accrue to the bars and clubs. Now that they have the “we’re adult and we smoke goddamn it” option, all bets are off.
First they came for the young music lovers, and I did nothing…
What a bunch of cowards.
