Salina ? A local group has started a petition to force city commissioners to either repeal an ordinance restricting smoking at Salina restaurants or call for a public vote on the issue.

The Coalition for Reasonable People started the petition drive to support restaurant owners, said member Gary Swartzendruber.

“We think private businesses and their customers can make the appropriate decisions with no legislation,” he said.

The loose-knit group Swartzendruber leads was formed in response to the Salina Area Tobacco Prevention Coalition, which proposed the smoking ban.

Salina commissioners approved the ban on a 3-2 vote May 6. Under the ban, which will go into effect in July, smokers can only light up inside Salina restaurants from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. or while eating outdoors.

Swartzendruber said that by taking the issue to a public vote, citizens would have the opportunity to participate in government.

“They have the final say in something that’s been the talk of the town,” Swartzendruber said.

Swartzendruber said the coalition hoped to collect a minimum of 2,000 signatures to be presented to commissioners within about a month. Under the law, the group has six months to gather the required 1,606 signatures from registered voters.

Swartzendruber said he didn’t think the goal was unreasonable. Before the commissioners’ vote, the group collected 2,700 signatures from people opposed to the measure, though some of those who signed weren’t registered voters.

If enough signatures are collected and the petition is submitted to the commission, commissioners will have 20 days to either repeal the smoking ordinance or call for a public vote.