By NADIA PFLAUM
Keep on smokin’. This morning, Judge John O’Malley made a ruling in a lawsuit filed by members of Kansas City, Missouri’s bar and restaurant industry, who were seeking an injunction against the no-smoking ordinance that was to go into effect June 7. This morning, O’Malley ruled that City Hall hadn’t had enough time to respond to the suit. He set a new hearing date of June 20, and asked that the city not enforce the voters’ smoking ordinance until he makes a final ruling.
In the meantime, the city will continue to enforce its original smoking ordinance, passed by the City Council, which has been in place since March 24 and prohibits smoking in bars and restaurants until after 9 p.m.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Dave’s Stagecoach Inn, the Peppermill Lounge South, Diebel’s Sportsmen’s Gallery, New Majestic Steakhouse, Ward Parkway Lanes, the Brooksider Sports Bar and Grill, Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, Buzzard Beach and the Dark Horse Tavern.
If Kansas City voter had been warned that this smoking ban would cause a 13 percent increase in drunk driving deaths, it never would have passed. Why should people who never set foot in bars be put at increased deadly risk?
www.econ.iastate.edu/calendar/papers/CottiPaperDrunkDriving.pdf
Posted at: June 4, 2008 11:18 PM