Smoke vote pattern hazy

Bans meet mixed fates in Midwest cities

Supporters and opponents of Lawrence’s smoking ban took comfort in how voters across the country responded to six key elections involving similar smoking bans.

Voters in cities from Lincoln, Neb., to Columbus, Ohio, largely upheld smoking bans in elections that took place Tuesday.

Dave Kingsley, a smoking ban supporter and chairman of the Mayor’s Task Force on Smoking, said the result was a positive sign for Lawrence, given that bar and restaurant owners are working to put the issue on the ballot, probably during the March 1 primary.

“Anymore, I’m really surprised when one of these fails,” Kingsley said. “About 80 or 90 percent of them pass, based on what I hear. I feel pretty comfortable it would pass in Lawrence. In fact, if they (bar and restaurant operators) get it on the ballot, that would be fine with me because we could settle it once and for all.”

Meanwhile, Philip Bradley, executive director of the Lawrence-based Kansas Licensed Beverage Assn. and a ban opponent, said he was encouraged by the votes because only two of the six cities supported a complete ban of smoking in public places, like the Lawrence ordinance.

Lincoln and Columbus voters both approved by wide margins outright bans on smoking in all indoor public places. But voters in Fargo and West Fargo, N.D., approved compromise bans that allow smoking in bars that serve only people 21 years or older. And voters in Toledo, Ohio, repealed an existing smoking ban, while voters in Duluth, Minn., rejected a proposed ban similar to the one in place in Lawrence.

“We think what this shows is several communities have chosen to work with their hospitality industries and only in a couple of cases chose to completely ignore the industry,” Bradley said.

He said the hospitality industry would like to reach a compromise with Lawrence city commissioners on the ban, but did not give details on what shape that compromise might take.

Kingsley urged commissioners to remain steadfast to the ban.

“The problem with a compromise is that you only have one really good justification for passing a ban, and that is the health of the employees,” Kingsley said. “If you start making exemptions, that blows the reason for your ordinance out of the water.”

Kingsley also questioned claims that some Lawrence bars and restaurants, most recently The Meat Market in downtown, closed because of the smoking ban.

Bradley said ban opponents had enough signatures to force the issue to a citywide vote. Absent a compromise, he said, the group probably would file in December to put the issue to a vote during the March 1 City Commission and school board primary election.