Trenton – Senator Joe Vitale, Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, released the following statement in response to the lawsuit filed in State Superior Court in Mercer County that seeks to eliminate the legal loophole that has allowed smoking to continue on the floors of Atlantic City casinos:
“Since the minute we passed the Smoke Free Air Act, I have been working to close the loophole that excluded casino workers from this fundamental protection. Throughout this fight I met countless brave men and women who have stood up, time and time again, to demand justice for themselves and their coworkers. Today is their day.
“The State of New Jersey has failed casino workers in Atlantic City for 18 years. We let a false argument about economics subjugate our duty to protect the people we serve and in doing so, we allowed corporations to poison their employees for nearly two decades.
“It’s a shameful legacy for our legislature but I am grateful to everyone involved in today’s landmark lawsuit because it takes this constitutional issue out of the statehouse lobby and into the courthouse. I am grateful to all the workers and advocates who never gave up their pursuit of justice, no matter how many times they were denied, and I pray that the judge will see the merits of this case and will deny them no more.”