New Lawsuit Against Ohio's Smoking Ban
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A Columbus bar says Ohio's workplace smoking ban is unconstitutional because it is not equally enforced throughout the state.

The owner of Zeno's bar makes the claim in a countersuit filed against state Attorney General Richard Cordray, who accuses the bar of repeatedly violating the smoking ban.

The countersuit, filed this week in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, says seven of Zeno's eight employees are smokers and that none of the workers are seeking protection from secondhand smoke.

Zeno's faces about $28,000 in fines for smoking ban violations.

The ban was approved by voters and took effect in May 2007.

Holly Hollingsworth, a spokeswoman for Cordray, says there's no reason to believe that any parts of the law are unconstitutional.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com