Baton Rouge Update
Council refuses to lighten BR smoking ban
9/29/2005, 6:52 a.m. CT
The Associated Press???
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – The East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council snuffed out an attempt to soften the penalties of the parish’s new smoking ban.
The ordinance passed last month bans smoking in most public places, and threatens cigarette smokers who violate the new law with a fine of up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail. Exempted from the ban are bars, casinos, restaurants that serve alcoholic drinks, tobacco stores, and hotel rooms. State law forbids local ordinances that ban smoking in those places.
“I personally am opposed to smoking, but I don’t think you should go to jail for smoking a cigarette,” Councilman Mickey Skyring said. A conviction gives a smoker a criminal record, he added.
Skyring’s amendment would have made violation of the smoking ordinance a civil offense, which would not involve a criminal record. It also would have lowered the maximum penalty to $100 or eight hours of community service.
But the proposal failed Wednesday on an 8-4 vote.
Councilwoman Lorri Burgess, who sponsored the smoking ban passed last month, opposed Skyring’s amendment noting that the crime is only a misdemeanor, not a felony.
“Secondhand smoke kills. That’s a fact. And when you consider that, the penalties are relatively light,” Burgess said.
Ban on smoking drawing big fire in BR
August 8, 2005? By SCOTT DYER
Christina Bannister figures her downtown Baton Rouge restaurant is about to get burned by the proposed anti-smoking ordinance.
Read:? http://www.2theadvocate.com/
Smoking ban goes to the Baton Rouge metro council
August 4, 2005
BATON ROUGE, La. A tough new smoking ordinance proposed for East Baton Rouge Parish is headed for a hearing before the full Metro Council next week, but it could face some drastic changes.
Councilman Mickey Skyring says he plans to try to decriminalize the proposed ordinance to remove the current provision that would allow a judge to sentence defiant smokers to up to 30 days in jail.
Skyring says the jail penalty doesn’t make any sense in a parish where the prison is so overcrowded that individuals charged with serious crimes are being turned away.
Skyring not only wants to get rid of the jail time, but to reduce the maximum fine allowed under the proposed anti-smoking ordinance.
The proposed law would ban cigarette smoking within most office buildings and would prohibit smokers from lighting up within 25 feet of doorways.
In its current form, the proposed smoking ordinance would slap East Baton Rouge smokers who violate the new restrictions with a fine of up to 500 dollars and up to 30 days in jail.
In Louisiana, smoking can’t be prohibited in restaurants and bars that serve alcohol, motel rooms, casinos, tobacco businesses and private homes.
http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=3680728
