CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Cheyenne City Councilman Don Pierson says he’s prepared to introduce an ordinance to ban smoking in public places in Wyoming’s capital city at the first council meeting in May.
“We’re not telling people they can’t smoke,” Pierson said. “Just don’t smoke where other people have to breathe it.”
Pierson said he intends to share the draft ordinance with other council members this week and ask them to co-sponsor it.
“I think the chances are very good,” Pierson said of the ban’s being passed. “It seems to be the logical thing to do for our community.” Pierson said the ban would cover restaurants and other public areas. Laramie already has such a ban, and Colorado Gov. Bill Owens said Friday he would sign a bill banning smoking in most public places in that state.
“Just about anywhere the public is invited to attend (would be) nonsmoking,” Pierson said. He said that would include all city-owned youth athletics facilities, including those that are outside. He said he’s only heard positive reactions to the proposal.
But Cheyenne Councilman Brent Beeman said some business owners have told him that they want to make their own business decisions. He said other constituents say they want to see the ban put in place.
Beeman said he personally doesn’t like to be around smoke but that the decision whether to ban smoking should be left to businesses, not to government. He said he’s interested in looking at alternatives to having a blanket ban.
“Is this something where we could require a permit to have a smoking establishment?” Beeman said.
If the council approves a ban, people opposed to it could try to take the issue before all voters in Cheyenne.
Forcing a public vote on the issue would require a petition signed by 10 percent of the city’s registered voters, said City Attorney Mike Basom. He said that would amount to more than 2,000 signatures.
The signatures would have to be collected and returned to the city within 10 days after the ordinance is published, which is generally a couple of days after the City Council’s approval.
Dan Hatanelas, manager of DTs Liquors in Cheyenne, said bar owners aren’t in favor of a smoking ban.
Tobacco is a legal product, and it should be up to the owner of an establishment whether to allow it, Hatanelas said.
He said he’s heard anecdotal reports that owners elsewhere have seen a downturn in business when bans have been implemented.
Mike Moser, executive director for the Wyoming State Liquor Association and a Cheyenne resident, said Saturday that his group doesn’t have a position on the prospect of an ordinance in Cheyenne.
“We oppose any statewide smoking bans obviously, because customers can decide for themselves,” Moser said. He said also that the process of businesses’ banning smoking is happening without government intervention.
