Kansas smoking ban begins; 31 clubs ruled exempt

Smoke ’em if you got ’em, Kansas. At least if you’re in a private club or the state-owned casino.

In a decision that allows bar and club owners as well as the state to claim a partial victory, Shawnee County District Judge Franklin R. Theis ruled Wednesday afternoon that the ban would go into effect as planned today, but he also issued an injunction that temporarily spares 31 private clubs from having to comply with ban.