(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) As the battle rages on in St. Joseph over the future of a city-wide smoking ban, an out-of-town advocate has joined the debate.
“I know what has to be done. I know what the arguments are. I know what’s possible. I’m a seasoned warrior in this battle and I’m definitely going to try and help out if I can,” said Bill Hannegan, of Keep St. Louis Free.
Hannegan sent a letter to bar and restaurant owners in St. Joseph. He’s urging them to contact St. Joseph’s City Council members to help “stop the smoking ban.”
“We don’t need to be putting bans on smoking, the council should be regulating smoking so the smoke doesn’t build up, so the kids aren’t around it, but beyond that, adults should have their own free choice,” said Hannegan.
This isn’t Hannegan’s first fight against a city-wide smoking ban. He’s taken on communities across the state and says he’ll be a voice for St. Joseph too.
“It’s going to hurt those little establishments a lot more than people realize. The overall impact, how significant that will be, I don’t know,” said Hannegan.
That’s an argument the city council in St. Joseph has heard already after numerous public hearings and work sessions.
The outcome is a consensus that voters should have the final say.
“Would it be great to have non-smoking venues? Yeah, it would. But I feel like it’s not the government’s position to mandate that,” said St. Joseph Mayor Bill Falkner.
Hannegan says the council can regulate smoking without taking individual rights.
“The real answer in the smoking ban issue is keep kids away from the smoke, and put in filters to get rid of the smoke.” he said.
An opinion that doesn’t sit well with advocates on the other side of the fence.
“Ventilation systems don’t work because people are still inhaling the over 7,000 chemicals that are in second-hand smoke,” said Dr. Sara Summers, of Clean Air St. Joseph.
The city is still working out ballot language for the council’s review. Then, they’ll decide if the ordinance will make it to the polls.
The council is expected to have a first reading of the ballot language in two weeks.
Hannegan has been working on stopping smoking bans in other cities for eight years, including a big push in St. Louis and St. Louis County.
Originally written By Sarah Hatten
