Two groups representing bar and restaurant owners have filed suit to try and stop the Ohio smoking ban regulations from going into effect. The Buckeye Liquor Permit Holders Association and the Ohio Licensed Beverage Associations filed actions in Hamilton and Franklin County common pleas courts respectively. These organizations claim that the exemption for private clubs violates their equal protection rights. The Cincinnati lawsuit also alleges that the smoking ban violates bar and restaurant owners' right to use their property as they see fit. See Ohio's Smoke-Free Law Update by Chuck Kallendorf, Cincinnati Law Library Blog, Apr. 26, 2007, citing 2 Court Actions Filed to Bar Ban on Smoking from Taking Effect, by Toledo Blade, Apr. 14, 2007. The Cincinnati Law Library Blog article contains links to the docket in each case.
