[Nfbmo] Springfield MO Voters Pass City Smoking Ban

[DanFlasar at aol.com]

Gary,
   This is great!   After the truly huge margin of  support for the St. 
Louis City/County smoking ban referendum last year, and now  with Springfield 
passing an anti-smoking ordinance, we are beginning to see that  the tides 
have definitively changed in favor of the public's right to breathe  air 
unpolluted by other people's drug of choice.   
     The St. Louis County ordinance caved in to the  demands ofo the 
casinos who managed to get a provision to exempt themselves from  the smoking ban 
- a very unfair exemption.   Since we won about 69 to  31, there are 
initiatives to further the ban to the casinos in the area.  I  wonder - is KC 
smoke-free?  I think Columbia is.
Dan
     
 
 
In a message dated 4/5/2011 8:59:19 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
horchemg at gary-springfield-mo.net writes:

Good evening  folks the days of smoking on public buildings is over here is 
the article from  kolr 10 TV

(Springfield, MO) -- Voters in Springfield have passed an  ordinance to 
make all businesses in the city smoke-free. 
On Tuesday, the  proposed "Question 2" on the ballot (official wording 
below), passed. 
The  smoking ban makes lighting up illegal in Springfield inside any 
enclosed  business or private club. Smokers can't take a drag within five feet of 
a  playground, and smoking will only be allowed in fewer than a quarter of 
hotel  rooms. 
Supporters of the ban say it's a public health issue. 
"I don't  feel like anybody is going to go out of business," said Melanie 
Donnell, who  is a supporter of the ban. "I feel like in this day and age 
there is a lot  more non-smoking community than there is a smoking community." 
The other  side focused on the rights of consumers and businesses, noting 
the ordinance  will close up shop on a lot of jobs. 
"So you're going to be talking about  a loss of revenue right off the bat. 
For anybody to say that there's not an  economic impact, they're wrong," 
said Dave Myers, a coordinator for Live Free  Springfield. 
Live Free Springfield did a lot of last-minute campaigning  against the 
proposed smoking ban at a few locations Tuesday.

"I've been  on the phone for hours and hours, yesterday alone," Myers told 
KOLR/KSFX on  election night. "So, I've been talking a lot."


Supporters spent  time the last few days putting up signs and door hangars.


"We've  just been getting out and talking to voters and reminding them to 
vote and  just passing out our information and literature," said Carrie 
Reynolds,  spokesperson for Clean Air Springfield.


Organizers for Live Free  Springfield say this is about jobs. They know of 
several businesses planning  to file injunctions to sue the city now that 
it's passed. 
The City of  Springfield would then make a filing in court and would be 
responsible to  defend a vote of the people. 
A city spokesman didn't provide specifics on  how much this would cost, but 
the legal proceedings would require staff time  and resources to prepare. 
The ordinance states that the ban will go into  effect 60 days after 
adoption. 
The Health Department will enforce the ban,  informing the public, offering 
resources and information during the transition  period and assisting 
businesses as they work toward compliance. 
This will  be a combination of regular inspections, like usual and 
customary restaurant  inspections, as well as a complaint-based enforcement system. 
Question  2:
[Shall the City of Springfield, Missouri prohibit smoking in enclosed  
public places, places of employment, private clubs, within five feet of  outdoor 
playgrounds and within five feet of outside entrances, operable  windows, 
and ventilation systems of enclosed areas where smoking is  prohibited, and 
exempt the following places from smoking prohibition: a)  private residences, 
unless such residence is used as a child care, adult day  care, or 
healthcare facility; b) not more than 25 percent of the hotel or  motel rooms rented 
to guests as smoking rooms; and c) outdoor areas of places  of employment; 
providing for the imposition of a fine of $50 per violation for  any person 
violating said ordinance by smoking, upon a finding of guilt or  admission 
of guilt; upon a finding of guilt or admission of guilt, providing  for fines 
ranging from $100-$500 per day against the owner, operator, manager  or any 
agent who controls a public place or place of employment or any  business, 
and allows smoki
ng to occur on the premises; providing for  revocation of any license or 
permit issue to the business or public place that  permits such violations; 
requiring that businesses and public places place  signage advising of the 
prohibition on  smoking?]
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