Top Republican doesn’t want to change smoking law

A leading republican in the Iowa Legislature does not want to give Iowa cities the right to ban smoking in restaurants. Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson says that would open up a “pandora’s box” of local control issues. The Iowa Supreme Court last month struck down a restaurant smoking ban in Ames, citing state law that forbids local governments from passing laws that’re more stringent than state law. Iverson says there’s a pretty simple solution for business owners who liked the no-smoking ordinance. Iverson, who is a smoker, says restaurant owners can simply put up a sign and declare their restaurant a no-smoking zone. Iverson made his comments on Iowa Public Television.