N. Ky. Lawmakers Wants To Remove Smokers As Protected Class

Monday, November 19, 2018 at 9:22 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

Kentucky employers could be allowed to fire employees simply because they use tobacco.

(Union, Ky.) - If you are a smoker employed in Kentucky, you could soon be fired simply on the grounds that you smoke if a northern Kentucky lawmaker has his way.

State Senator John Schickel (R-Union) says he has pre-filed a bill which would remove tobacco users from the protected classes outlined in Kentucky's employment anti-discrimination law.

By doing that, the state’s employers could deny employment to anybody who smokes – solely for that reason.

The bill would also preserve employers' ability to charge different rates for smokers and nonsmokers utilizing sponsored health plans.

Schickel says it makes no sense for smokers to be a protected class. His bill will be considered when lawmakers meet for the 2019 lawmaking session in January.

According to 2016 data from the Centers for Disease Control, about a quarter of adults in Kentucky use tobacco, compared to a nation rate of about 17.1 percent.

Comments

Add a comment

Display Name *

Location *

Email Address *

Comment *

Rating *

I have read and agreed to the privacy policy and terms & conditions *

Area Jobs

Facebook

Events

Pages in the Park
Read books, sing songs, and have fun (all while building early literacy skills) with Christine from the Lawrenceburg Public Library District Outreach Dept.
Jul 7, 2026 at Homestead Park
Dolly's Summer Tour
Visit our life-sized Dolly Parton cut-out as she visits local businesses around Dearborn County promoting her Imagination Library.
Jul 7, 2026
Summer Lunch
Free Summer Lunch
Jul 7, 2026