WHEELING, W.Va. — The Wheeling-Ohio County Board of Health held a meeting Tuesday to discuss plans to ban smoking at businesses and facilities in the county.
Currently, there are two places in the county that allow smoking: the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack and businesses with designated video lottery rooms.
Local business leaders spoke at the meeting against the proposal, including representatives from the casino, who said Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort in Hancock County had been negatively affected by stricter smoking policies.
State Senate Majority Leader Ryan Ferns, R-Ohio, voiced his opposition to the idea on Twitter.
“This is the problem with having unelected bureaucrats making rules that have the effect of law,” he said in response to a video of a local business leader opposing the plan.”
I agree. This is the problem with having unelected bureaucrats making rules that have the effect of law. The people don’t have a say. https://t.co/rdd8VMPWOR
— Ryan Ferns (@RyanFernsWV) April 11, 2017
The board will next meet on May 9.