Fans of smoking bans, don&8217;t breathe easy just yet. We still have to go through the legislative session. This is Minnesota, the Land of Unpredictable Politics. We have seen slam-dunk legislation miss the basket before.

If you haven&8217;t heard, a state smoking ban in restaurants seems likely this session, now that Democrats once again have a majority in the state House of Representatives and the Republican governor says he would sign a ban into law if the Legislature gave him the chance.

It sounds too good to be true. If it happens, we would applaud lawmakers for looking out for the safety and health of its citizens and for finding a great way to save millions in health care costs.

Many smokers are vocal about their desire to smoke in public places. After all, they are addicted. It&8217;s not them talking. It&8217;s the nicotine. Well, that and years and years of an established lifestyle.

That why we don&8217;t think an across-the-board ban on smoking will work. It is good the Legislature likely will draw the line based on the amount of food sold at the establishments. In short, smoking likely will be allowed in bars, not restaurants. However, we wish it wasn&8217;t based on food but rather based on whether minors are allowed

to enter. If children can go, there should be no smoking. If minors cannot enter, let the adults smoke where they drink.

That said, families will be happy to see a smoking ban in a place, no matter where the line is drawn. Just think of the restaurants they will start visiting that they couldn&8217;t go to before. Just think of the fresh indoor air. Just think of how much better children&8217;s birthday parties at restaurants will be.

We&8217;ll see what the Legislature does. Let&8217;s hope for the best.