The president of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has thrown his support behind a proposed statewide smoking ban in the workplace. Dave Adkisson testified before a legislative panel in Frankfort today.He says ten years ago, it would have been unthinkable for the chamber to take such a position. "The business community now sees the effects of smoking on our workforces in terms of absenteeism and lost productivity. We also see the effect on our insurance premiums and now on our tax bills, especially when you consider the of smoking to our Medicare program, our Medicaid program, which of course is haunting our state budget," he said.Adkisson says Kentucky businesses suffer productivity losses of $2.6 billion annually because of smoking.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.
