NEWS
Smoking ban fight heats up
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Also by Keegan Kyle:
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by Keegan Kyle
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Although state lawmakers will ultimately weigh the proposed statewide smoking ban in all public places, lobbying groups from both sides have readied arms in full force to sway its future.
In reaction to Senate President Fred Risser, D-Madison, publicly introducing the statewide ban bill, the Wisconsin Tavern League urged its membership Tuesday to distribute petitions opposing it.
On its website, the Tavern League identifies bill sponsors and also encourages members to protest the bill to their state representatives. The Tavern League has even created a smoking blog, which not only updates visitors on the bill, but also proposed local smoking bans.
"The other side is working very hard, going office to office and making contacts with their legislators to support … [the] statewide smoking ban bill," one piece of online literature said. "We must do the same."
Lobby groups advocating the smoking ban include a variety of large health and medical organizations and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. During the last legislative session, hours reportedly spent lobbying smoking ban legislation in Wisconsin vastly exceeded hours spent by the Tavern League opposing it, according to State Ethics Board reports.
The Tavern League has previously stated its support for the smoking ban, provided an exemption for all taverns and bars is included. In its current draft, the bill would not override local smoking ordinances such as the ban in the city of Madison.
The Restaurant Association has clashed with the Tavern League and said it will only support a complete statewide smoking ban on all public places, which Risser has proposed in "practically every session" for more than 20 years.
Risser said he proposed this year's bill mainly for health reasons, but he added that it could also help the economy by saving millions in health-care costs.
"It's also good for business," Risser said. "It opens up doors to many people that would otherwise stay away."
However, the Tavern League and local bar owners have argued smoking bans only hurt business by driving away customers who want to smoke. Opponents also say the market should drive private business policies, not government.
Although remaining "cautiously optimistic," Risser called the complete ban "inevitable," pointing to similar efforts in Minnesota, Illinois and other states across the country.
Anonymous (April 19, 2007 @ 11:15am):
I've argued before that a small local ban does fall to certain arguments put forth by bar owners and others opposed to a ban. However a state wide ban nullifies most of those arguments, for example of their argument: what is a smoker going to when he cant smoke in a madison bar, possibly stay home and not have a drink like he wanted to, or go outside of madison to drink. This argument holds, however when he has to drive to Minnesota to smoke in a bar, he's either going to stay home or go out anyways. Not too many smokers I know stay home on a saturday just because they have to stand out in front.
Anonymous (April 19, 2007 @ 4:46pm):
I for one will not go to any bar that doesn't allow smoking. That's the whole point of going for me. If a statewide ban is enacted, I'll stay home. I know lots of others who will do the same.
Anonymous (April 20, 2007 @ 2:29am):
I just want to know who is going to pay for the enforcement of this ban? As if our legal system doesn't have their hands full! Law enforcement ultimately costs the taxpayers. When it comes down to it, who is worth prosecuting? The sexual predator, drug dealer, drunk driver, or the cigerette smoker? Gosh...as the smoker, I hope I have a darn good lawyer!
Ann Misura (May 8, 2007 @ 12:08pm):
We are just waiting in Illinois for the governor to to sign smoking ban. I will not go to any establishment anymore to eat or drink. Please everyone! Buy all your cigarettes outside of Illinois. Order on-line or whatever you have to do. Let's cut Illinois' tax revenue wherever we can and hit them where it hurts most.
Anonymous (December 25, 2007 @ 7:13pm):
It's not right to say that you will fight the government by not going to any public bar or resteraunt. You are hurting the small bussiness men and wemon who are just trying to make a living. Some of us don't have the money or the space to open beer gardens to accomodate smokers and your boycott of our bussinesses is wrong. We have sunk our hearts and sweat into making a go of our bussiness and we are ultimately the ones who will suffer!
January Dietzel (January 3, 2008 @ 10:06pm):
I work in a bowling alley. My father has owned it for 8 years. The law took effect and it did exactly what we thought it would do...hurt our business. I make anywhere from $65-$100 in tips working as a bartender on Wednesday Night Men's leauges. Yesterday I brought home $31 in tips. No one stayed afterwards to drink, if they drank at all. Most people have to smoke when they drink. We locked our doors at 11:30pm last night, the first in 8 years on a Wednesday night. So no, people aren't going to go to a bar in Illinois when we only live 30 mins from Missouri. Not only is Missouri going to get the Illinois people that want to bar hop...they're going to get the tax money for the cigarettes too. Our governer forgot about the little counties like us that drive off the sell of liquor and catoring to the people who smoke. We are a bowling alley...people have to take off their bowling shoes to walk 15 feet from the exits to smoke in between frames, which is in turn is aggravating the non-smokers. I took this job knowing I was going to be around smoke. But for everyone to say that they won't come into our establishment to eat or drink...you're only hurting us. Not the government. You want to hurt the government...go buy your gas and cigarettes in Missouri or our other surrounding states. Hit the casinos across the border. Send as many e-mails to the governer you can. Don't just stand around and wait for an ammendment...get one!!!! Our business is going to go down and my family will be forced into poverty if this is not ammended (I'm a single mother of 3.) The governer forgot about us....but if we make an effort to fight this he'll certainly see a difference! Chigago and big cities in Illinois are not the only ones in this State!!! Let the counties make their own laws!!! We benefit from smokers!!!
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