Attempt to Ban Smoking in Calif. Homes Dies

Limits to nanny authority even in one of the nanniest states in the country

A bill to bar millions of Californians from smoking inside their own homes was rejected Wednesday by an Assembly committee.

Assembly Bill 746 would have made California the first state to venture into personal bedrooms and living rooms with smoking restrictions. It targeted condominiums, duplexes and apartments.

Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, proposed the measure to ensure that people who live in structures that share walls, ceilings, floors or ventilation systems with neighboring units are not subject to secondhand smoke.