News briefs

House passes cigarette ban

Lighting up a cigarette in Oregon bars and taverns would be prohibited under a bill that passed the Oregon Senate Tuesday on an 18-12 vote.

It is expected to undergo changes in the Oregon House, where exemptions for cigar bars, tobacco shops and the Portland Meadows racetrack could be stripped away.

Most Senate Democrats united behind the proposal, saying it would protect the 35,000 Oregonians who work in bars and taverns from the well-documented dangers of secondhand smoke, including an increased risk of asthma and lung cancer.

If it passes there and is signed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, the bill wouldn’t become law until 2009. Lawmakers agreed to put off the law’s start date after economists estimated that it would cause a $25 million per year hit to the state budget, because of the potential for reduced video lottery play and a drop in the tax revenue the state collects from sales of alcohol and cigarettes.

Twenty other states have already passed bills barring smoking in bars and taverns, including both Washington and California. Minnesota is the latest state to sign off on such a ban, earlier this month.

Smoking has been banned for the past five years in most indoor spaces in Oregon.

-Julia Silverman, Associated Press

Celebration to honor professor’s book

To honor the publication of PSU Professor David A. Horowitz’s new book, there will be a dramatized reading and presentation of related cultural works from the past 100 years.

Horowitz’s book The People’s Voice: A Populist Cultural History of Modern America was recently published. The book is a textbook covering history from 1890 to the present, told through the expression of a variety of artists.

“I think it will be a high-energy event,” Horowitz said. There will be a multimedia presentation of art, music, and literature relating to Horowitz’s book. Local luminaries such as KBOO’s Joe Uris will read excerpts from authors as varied as Langston Hughes and Garrison Keillor.

The event will take place Thursday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Room 338 of the Smith Memorial Student Union. Refreshments will be provided.

-Eva Fitzsimons

PSU bike day Thursday

Members of the Portland State bicycle co-op will be in the Park Blocks Thursday just outside of Smith Memorial Student Union, giving out free bike tune-ups and free bicycle-powered smoothies.

The co-op will be selling bicycle helmets for $10, but students can get a free helmet if they pay a $15 PSU bicycle co-op membership fee. Members of the co-op are given access to the entire co-op facility, including repair tools and workspace, according to the bike co-op website. Members can also special order merchandise, and can receive discounts on bike parts.

The event will last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

-David Holley