Petition for smoking ban circulating

An official petition to get a smoking ban on the ballot is now circulating among registered voters in St. Joseph.
The organizing group, Smoke-Free St. Joseph, must obtain 2,190 signatures of registered voters to be successful. If all signatures are certified, the issue will appear on an upcoming ballot.

Smoke-Free St. Joseph began drafting the proposed ordinance in May when the City Council voted 6-3 to drop all considerations of a smoking ban.

Its proposal would ban smoking in all indoor public places, with the exemption of 10 percent of hotel rooms or in membership clubs when no employees are present.

It also would allow smoking on the casino gaming floor, until casinos in Jackson, Platte or Clay counties go smoke-free.

“Idealistically we would want it to be 100 percent, but with the casino threatening not to go Downtown, we felt like that was not in the best interest because that would hurt the city,” said Dr. Jane Schwabe, organizer of Smoke-Free St. Joseph.

“This still gives us the opportunity to protect 95 percent of our workers.”

Paula Heyde, city clerk, said the group has no deadline to obtain its signatures on a certified petition. When it does reach its goal, however, the language will be submitted to the City Council.

“Council can then promptly consider the proposed ordinance and pass it,” she said. “Or if council fails to adopt it within 60 days, it shall be submitted to the voters.”

The City Council cannot choose to block the ordinance, she added, but can negotiate specifics of the proposal if Smoke-Free St. Joseph chooses to do so.

Dr. Schwabe said the group is confident it can collect enough signatures in a short amount of time. It does not have a goal, however, on which ballot the issue will appear.

“Seventy-five percent of the people who came to the public meetings spoke in support of (a smoking ban), and we felt like it was our duty to carry it on,” she said. “ ... I do think we have the support to win the election.”

Though some members of Smoke-Free St. Joseph overlap, the group is not affiliated with Clean Air St. Joe. Sara Summers, coordinator of Clean Air St. Joe, said her organization is strictly educational, and will not be involved in taking the initiative to the voters.