One County Councilman wants to see a smoking ban proposal go before voters in 2012, but hasn't been able to discuss the issue with the rest of the council.
Councilman Joe Cronin, R-District 1, said he submitted a bill about a month ago that would ban smoking in most public places, but the bill has not been placed on the County Council agenda. The bill would put the smoking ban proposal on the Aug. 7, 2012 ballot.
“That’s going to brought up at this meeting,” Cronin said.
The work session begins at 5 p.m. Monday in the St. Charles County Executive Building on Third Street.
When asked if he has enough support to pass the bill, Cronin said, “I guess we’ll see on Monday.”
Council Chairman Joe Brazil, R-District 2, said he opposes bringing the issue to a vote.
“I’m still against it,” Brazil said. “In Cronin’s ordinance, he excludes the casino, and that’s totally unfair.”
Cronin said the exemption applies only to the gambling floor where gambling takes place. It does not include bars and restaurants within a casino.
“Supposedly, when Illinois banned smoking from casinos, it cost them about $800 million in lost revenue to St. Louis County,” Cronin said. “People are afraid if there’s a smoking ban in the St. Charles casino, people will go across the river to gamble. There’s 1,600 jobs in that casino.”
Casinos in St. Louis County are exempt from the smoking ban.
“There was not enough support on the council to get this done without an exemption for the casino,” Cronin said.
The bill, as it currently is written, also allows exemptions for private clubs with no paid employees, tobacco stores or cigar bars.
A cigar bar is defined as a place that generates 60 percent of its revenue from selling alcohol and 25 percent of its revenue from cigar sales; has a humidor on the premises, and is not otherwise subject to the ban.
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