It's not a perfect bill, but it's the best one County Councilwoman
Barbara Fraser thought she could get her fellow council members to endorse.
On Tuesday, the council came through, electing by 4-3 margin to put the
bill on the Nov. 3 ballot. The proposed legislation will ask county
voters whether or not the local government should prohibit smoking in
most businesses. Excluded from the measure are casinos, smoking areas
in the airport and bars that earn more than 75 percent of their revenue
through alcohol sales.
Not surprisingly, the ban is facing opposition from bar owners and smoking rights activist. But as
KWMU reports,
it's also being panned by the American Cancer Society, which is asking
that County Executive Charlie Dooley veto the bill. The cancer society
wants a bill that bans smoking in all public places with no
exceptions.