Letter to the Editor: Smoking Ban Bill Limits Local Control

House Bill 2103 would exempt businesses with at least 60 percent retail sales from alcohol, tobacco or entertainment from local smoking bans.

Editor's Note: Letters to the Editor are welcomed by Patch. The opinions expressed in letters are only that of the letter writer and do not represent Patch. The letters solely represent the views of the author and have not been edited other than to check for spelling error.  If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please review our guidelines here. To the Editor: A current Missouri legislative bill co-sponsored by Rep. Kathie Conway (R-St. Charles County) would compromise the health and safety of Missouri citizens as well as prevent them from determining what is best for their local communities. This bill would prohibit Missouri cities and counties from banning smoking in establishments where at least 60 percent of sales come …

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Scott E. Lee

2:12 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012

I think the new bill's scope is too narrow. It needs to be expanded to include restaurants. It goes like this: I open a restaurant. I allow smoking in certain sections of my restaurant. I have customers that smoke and customers that don't smoke. I make money. If I thought I could make MORE money by eliminating the smoking section, I would eliminate the smoking section. Simple market-driven …   more ›

Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Proposed 'Smoking Ban' Doesn't Protect Non-Smokers

Wendy Prakop, of Smoke Free St. Charles County, says a ban should protect workers and patrons from second hand smoke.

Editor's Note: Letters to the Editor are welcomed by Patch. The opinions expressed in letters are only that of the letter writer and do not represent Patch. The letters solely represent the views of the author and have not been edited other than to check for spelling error.  If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please review our guidelines here. Letter to the Editor of O'Fallon Patch, Recently, in the March 20th edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, an article entitled, “Smoking bans may be at odds” which stated that an initiative petition drive is being planned by bar and restaurant owners that would allow people to light up in businesses barring anyone under age 21 along with another exemption limiting smoking to a …

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Scott E. Lee

6:58 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012

I never understood the anti-smoking bans. Major, big-box, national chains have smoking policies that protect the workers from the evils of smoking already. It's the mom-and-pop places that usually do not. So who is getting hurt here? My take on it is simple: Leave it to the business owners. If non-smokers want to patronize or work in an environment where smoking is allowed, let them. If a non-…   more ›

Smoking Ban Ballot Measures Catch Fire Again in St. Charles County

Two groups work toward placing a some form of a smoking ban before St. Charles County voters in November.

Efforts to place before St. Charles County voters some form of countywide smoking ban may be catching fire again. A number of bar owners and restaurants are considering starting an initiative petition drive to place a ban on the Nov. 6 ballot. But if approved, the measure—an amendment to the county charter—would be less restrictive than a ban suggested by a local anti-smoking coalition. That coalition has also discussed mounting its own initiative petition drive that would place a stricter ban on the same ballot. They discussed this after the St. Charles County Council deadlocked 3-3 on a ballot measure on Nov. 28. Two council members also say they may sponsor new bills—one that could be filed as early as April—to let voters decide on some…

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Top 5 Decisions That Impacted St. Charles County in 2011

Patch takes a look at five items that made news throughout St. Charles County in 2011.

1. Protesting funeral protests For St. Charles County, 2011 started with shouts of “USA” and choruses of “God Bless America” as a flag and sign-wielding St. Charles County and St. Louis area residents countered a demonstration by four Westboro Baptist Church members. The Topeka, KS-based church members were protesting outside the St. Charles County administrative building and the St. Charles City Hall. The protest was a response to a St. Charles County ordinance prohibiting picketing within 300 feet of funeral services one hour before and one hour after the ceremony. "Ten years ago, we didn't need a law like this because everyone respected people's right to mourn their deceased relatives," said County Executive Steve Ehlmann, at the time…

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Community Weighs in on the Smoking Ban Issue

Residents took definite sides on the smoking ban issue. The effort to put the smoking ban on the ballot was defeated, but it is likely to resurface through St. Charles County Council action or a citizen initiative petition.

Before the St. Charles County Council voted on the smoke-free ballot issue on Monday, several people addressed the council regarding the proposal. St. Charles County Council members defeated the proposal to put the smoke-free issue on the November 2012 ballot. Following are some excerpts from what residents said. Sharon Lee, manager of Siteman Cancer Center in BJC St. Peters Hospital “Tobacco use has a direct relationship to causing cancer. “I don’t think this is about public rights as much as it is ‘Let the public speak.’ So once again, we would ask you to let the public make this decision. Let them vote in the November 2012 election, and let their vote be heard.” Jerry Haferkamp of St. Charles Haferkamp said the American Legion in St. …

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St. Charles County Council Filters Out Smoking Ban

The county council may revisit the issue to come up with a compromise plan.

Veterans' organization members, bar owners and Ameristar Casino employees broke into applause after the St. Charles County Council voted down a proposal to put a countywide smoking ban on the November 2012 ballot. A tied 3-3 vote doomed the proposal. Before the vote, Kevin Nash, who lives near O’Fallon, said people were confusing the issue. Nash pointed out the proposal wasn’t to create a smoking ban, but to allow St. Charles County residents to vote on the issue. “The ordinance is about whether the citizens of St. Charles County will have the opportunity to say, ‘This is what I want,’ and to express that through their vote,” Nash said. Larry Williams, commander of American Veterans Post 106 in St. Peters, referred to a contingent of …

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St. Charles County Council to Consider Smoking Ban Monday Night

Smoke-free bills appear deadlocked at 3-3; possibility of an initiative petition looms over the meeting.

The proposed St. Charles County smoking ban is likely to suffer a setback Monday night. Three council members support the countywide smoke-free ordinance and three members are opposed. Council member Paul Wynn, R-District 4, likely will be out of town and unable to vote. Wynn has also adamantly opposed smoke-free laws. A tie would send council members back to the drawing board or some residents out to begin gathering signatures for an initiative petition. Councilwoman Nancy Matheny, R-District 3, said she has heard plenty from both sides of the issue over the past two weeks. “It always seems like more than it really is—I’ve probably had about 50 (phone calls and emails),” said Matheny, of Weldon Spring. Last spring, Matheny supported a …

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Martin Pion

6:51 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011

The reason that tobacco-polluted indoor environments are no longer the norm is the progress made in adopting smoke-free air laws. And there is absolutely no rationale for exempting one privately-owned business from such health rules. You are trotting out arguments which are totally flawed and using terms favored by the tobacco industry which are inapplicable, such as "freedom of choice." Your …   more ›

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em?

Countywide smoking ban opponents may have scored a tactical victory during the St. Charles County Council meeting Monday.

Supporters and opponents of two smoking ban-related bills took turns addressing the council, including Ameristar Casino Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Franke and Siteman Cancer Center Manager Sharon Lee. One bill would place a countywide smoking ban on the November 2012 ballot. A second would grant an exemption to the casinos and also would be decided by voters if the county council approves it. However, after each council member weighed in on the ban, the measure appeared to be one vote short. The council won’t vote on the ordinance until its Nov. 28 meeting. But unless votes change, the smoking ban issue is likely to end in a 3-3 tie that would defeat the measure. Councilman Joe Cronin, R-District 1 This is Cronin’s second…

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: St. Charles County Smoking Ban

One man's open letter to the St. Charles County Council.

Councilman Cronin announced on Veterans Day that he will propose that a smoking ban including bars and VFW halls be placed on the ballot. County Councilmen, St. Charles County bar owners and veterans groups have the right to allow the use of a legal product by adults on their private property if common sense ventilation and exhaust systems are in place. St. Charles County business owners are depending on you to protect their property rights by considering all the evidence and deciding under what conditions these business owners can continue to allow indoor smoking. Public health laws are almost never turned over to voters for a good reason. Most voters do not have the time, interest or information to make such an economic and public health…

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Countywide Smoking Ban Proposal to be Reintroduced

Two ordinances would allow voters to vote separately on banning smoking in public places and allowing an exemption for casinos

St. Charles County Councilman Joe Cronin (R-1st District) will introduce two bills on a countywide smoking ban. One would place a countywide smoking ban on the ballot. If passed by voters, it would ban smoking in all public places with a few exemptions. The ordinances will be introduced at the county council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the St. Charles County Executive Building. “It’s a simple issue really,” said Cronin. “All it does is let the voters decide whether or not people have to step outside to smoke in a bar or restaurant.” The second bill would allow voters to choose if they want to exempt casinos from the smoking ban. Ameristar Casino is the only casino in St. Charles County, thus the only one affected. Last spring, Cronin …

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