Current:Home > ScamsWorkers take their quest to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos to a higher court -Mastery Money Tools
Workers take their quest to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos to a higher court
View
Date:2025-04-24 10:20:52
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Workers seeking to ban smoking in Atlantic City’s casinos on Friday asked an appeals court to consider their request, saying a lower court judge who dismissed their lawsuit did so in error.
The workers, calling themselves Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects, filed an appeal of a Superior Court judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit that sought to end smoking in the nine casinos.
Judge Patrick Bartels said on Aug. 30 that the workers’ claim that they have a Constitutional right to safety “is not well-settled law,” and he predicted they would not be likely to prevail with such a claim.
The appeal seeks so-called “emergent relief,” asking the appellate division to quickly hear and rule on the matter.
“It is past time to allow casinos the exclusive right to poison their workers for claimed profits,” said attorney Nancy Erika Smith, who filed the appeal.
New Jersey’s indoor smoking law prohibits it in virtually all workplaces — except casinos. The workers contend that constitutes an illegal special law giving unequal protection to different groups of people.
Whether to ban smoking is one of the most controversial issues not only in Atlantic City casinos, but in other states where workers have expressed concern about secondhand smoke. They are waging similar campaigns in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Virginia.
Currently, smoking is allowed on 25% of the casino floor in Atlantic City. But those areas are not contiguous, and the practical effect is that secondhand smoke is present in varying degrees throughout the casino floor.
The casinos oppose ending smoking completely, saying it will cost revenue and jobs. But many casino workers dispute those claims, saying smoke-free casinos operate profitably in many parts of the country.
A bill that would end smoking in the Atlantic City casinos has been bottled up in the state Legislature for years, and its chances for advancement and enactment are unclear.
___
Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC
veryGood! (932)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hash Out
- Former Vikings star Adrian Peterson ordered to turn over assets to pay massive debt
- Bachelorette's Devin Strader Breaks Silence on Jenn Tran Finale Fallout
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Chipotle brings back 'top requested menu item' for a limited time: Here's what to know
- Auburn QB Thorne says angry bettors sent him Venmo requests after loss
- Video shows a SpaceX rocket launch 4-member crew for daring Polaris Dawn mission
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- 'The Daily Show’ live debate episode with Jon Stewart: Start time, where to watch and stream
Ranking
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Amid fears of storm surge and flooding, Hurricane Francine takes aim at Louisiana coast
- BOYNEXTDOOR members talk growth on '19.99' release: 'It's like embarking on our adulthood'
- Detroit-area officer sentenced to prison for assaulting man after his arrest
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- NFL power rankings Week 2: Settled Cowboys soar while battered Packers don't feel the (Jordan) Love
- Frankie Beverly, Soul Singer of “Before I Let Go” and Founder of Maze, Dead at 77
- Nebraska’s top election official might try to remove a ballot measure to repeal school funding law
Recommendation
Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
Free People’s Sale Is Too Good To Be True—Snag Boho Styles Starting at $29 & More Finds up to 70% Off
When does 'Survivor' Season 47 start? Premiere date, cast, where to watch and stream
Kate Gosselin’s Son Collin Accuses Her of Tying Him Up, Keeping Him in Family’s Basement
Bodycam footage shows high
Niners, Jordan Mason offer potentially conflicting accounts of when he knew he'd start
Girl, 3, dies after being found in a hot car in Southern California, and her mother is arrested
Ex-CIA officer who spied for China faces prison time -- and a lifetime of polygraph tests