SOUTH BEND —
Indiana residents will have fewer places to smoke and will pay child support for fewer years under new state laws taking effect Sunday.
The smoking ban has been one of the most widely debated and publicized laws in the state, finally passing after six years of legislative wrangling.
The smoking ban covers all businesses in Indiana except for bars, casinos, horse-racing facilities, retail tobacco shops and hookah bars and private clubs. Businesses covered by the policy must remove all ashtrays and post signs stating smoking is prohibited within eight feet of an entrance.
The Indiana House had approved smoking ban bills in five previous sessions only to see the Senate ignore it until this year. Supporters say the law passed was too watered down and they hope the Legislature will someday make it more restrictive. Opponents say business owners should have the right to decide whether to allow smoking.
Another law changes the age at which non-custodial parents can stop making child support payments to 19, instead of the current 21, unless the child is disabled. The Department of Child Services says the law applies only to court orders issued in Indiana and doesn’t affect orders for educational support.
Indiana residents will be protected by a new self-defense law that says they can use force if they reasonably believe it’s necessary to protect themselves, someone else or their own property from unlawful actions by a public servant. The law is in response to a public uproar after the state Supreme Court ruled last year that residents couldn’t resist officers even during an illegal entry.
The state also has a new nepotism law that says government employees will no longer be allowed to hire or promote their relatives or have direct supervision over them. The law exempts some people who already have jobs. The law also states that local government agencies can’t enter into or renew contracts in which the contractor is a relative of a council member or mayor.
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A cigarette burns in an ashtray at the American Legion Post 243 in Ligonier. SAM HOUSEHOLDER | The Goshen News
New laws focus on smoking, child support
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