Photo by akkleis

Really big news from Virginia. The Post is reporting that Gov. Tim Kaine and House Speaker William Howell (R) announced this morning that they have struck a deal on legislation that would ban smoking in restaurants and bars across the entire state. The agreement is one that some thought would never come, given the importance of tobacco to the state’s economy.

The bill would ban smoking in restaurants and bars, with exceptions for private clubs and other public establishments that provide separate ventilation systems for smoking rooms.

The ban isn’t a totally done deal just yet. Kaine and Howell said this morning they expect the bill to sail through the House, but the Post reports that GOP delegates say they’ve been told they can vote freely, without fear of retribution. Will they fall in line? Probably. They are, after all, up for re-election in November in an increasingly blue state.

Should the bill pass, Virginia would follow the District’s and Maryland’s full smoking bans to make the entire region smoke-free.