Lawmakers hint they may tinker with smoking ban
Enforcement problems plague the fledgling Iowa lawBy BILL SHEA, Messenger staff writer
Article Photos
Fact Box
Forum gives local leaders chance to share ideas
The Mid Iowa Community Development Conference held in Fort Dodge Thursday brought together local leaders to exchange ideas for improving their communities.
''We try to bring success stories,'' said Jim Patton, an organizer of the annual event. ''We try to get the communities to tell their stories.''
The legislative forum that's always part of the conference typically is the most popular session, Patton added.
Other small group sessions focused on things such as encouraging entrepreneurs and using geographic information systems.
About 45 people attended.
Iowa's smoking ban has been in force for only two months, but local lawmakers have indicated that they may be tinkering with it when they return to the state Capitol next year.
Lawmakers serving Webster County acknowledged Thursday evening that problems are emerging with the way the law is enforced.
State Rep. McKinley Bailey, D-Webster City, told a forum audience that he sees little chance of the law being repealed. But he said he hopes legislators refine it.
During the same forum state senators Daryl Beall, D-Fort Dodge, and Rich Olive, D-Story City, said they hope the possibility of an increased gasoline tax is discussed. Boosting that tax, they said, would provide money for completing U.S. Highway 20 as a four-lane route all across the state.
State Rep. David Tjepkes, R-Gowrie, joined Bailey, Beall and Olive for the forum, which was part of the Mid Iowa Community Development Conference held at the Best Western Starlite Village Inn & Suites in Fort Dodge.
During the event, the lawmakers learned that leaders of Belmond in Wright County were reprimanded by state officials for not having enough ''No Smoking'' signs posted on the Municipal Building.
And Bailey noted that Iowa State University spent $100,000 for those signs.
''The rules are coming out much different than the intent,'' Olive said.
Tjepkes said he believes lawmakers need to re-examine the law.
Beall said the ''real enforcement'' ought to be directed against businesses that are blatantly ignoring it.
The law, which took effect July 1, bans smoking in just about every place where people work. Gaming floors of casinos are the only places which are exempt. Beall said the law protects 95 percent of Iowa workers from secondhand smoke.
Beall and Olive voted for it. Bailey and Tjepkes voted against it.
Early this year, Gov. Chet Culver signed into law a package of fee increases to provide more money for a highway program called Transportation Improvements Move the Economy for the 21st Century or TIME-21. Tjepkes, the top Republican on the House Transportation Committee, played a key role in developing that law.
''TIME-21 is an example of a lot of good bipartisan work,'' Tjepkes said.
An increase in the state's gasoline tax wasn't included in the bill. Culver ruled out a gas tax hike before the Legislature convened in January.
''I hope the fuel tax is on the agenda for this session of the Legislature,'' Beall said.
Olive said a gasoline tax increase of 3 to 4 cents a gallon wouldn't be ''unreasonable.''
The state's gasoline tax is now 21 cents per gallon.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
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birdbrains
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09-17-08 12:49 AM
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yes i can go on record,and prove that the ban has hurt my business.i looked up my records from last july,we lost almost 8000.00 dollars.the first day was like a punch in the gut. even tho i knew what to expect, it was still a shock. rabbitts tavern.
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VTwinJim
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09-08-08 11:36 AM
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marijuana legalization is wrong in my mind ,because it is like Beer and other alcohol's it distorts the better judgment of people.
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VTwinJim
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09-08-08 11:30 AM
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Why not clean up the air that a lot of people have to breath on their job's . It's a way more important thing to do for a whole lot more peoples. And not just for some whining cry baby's that have no sense at all. That's my take on the issue and right or wrong it is what I believe. Sorry about being so long.
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VTwinJim
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09-08-08 11:29 AM
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Case in point they make laws that can not be the end all of end alls to save lives. Simply because they are flawed and full of holes. Now true we need protection from our selves sometimes, but is it the right of the government to tell us what common sense should tell us to do. If you want to band smoking out in the public eye you'll have to make cigarettes illegal and that will stop second hand smoke from being this Number one cause of Death in this the United States of America. One is a real killed and there should be a Law and very strictly enforced to the letter, it is a REAL life Killer and the other is no more a killer then the air you breath following a Semi Truck. You had the choice to go into a place of business that allowed smoking before. And you also had the choice to not go into a place where smoking was allowed before. People this is really just one of those common sense thing's that the Government did not need to stick their noses into. Why not clean up the air that
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VTwinJim
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09-08-08 11:28 AM
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I see people still blowing their noses in a restaurant and I think it is a rude and a sick thing that should be done around the corner. I still go into a business and have to put up with rude and loud people talking like it's their right to interfere with everyone else's life in the place. The law makers have passed Drunk driving laws and I for one have just about been Killed not once but four times even after the Laws were passed by Drunk Drivers. So this does not make us all safe from Drunk Drivers. In one recent case. A lady from Humboldt County was driving Drunk and had no Insurance as I recall. And she ran into a Farm tractor that my friend was driving and killed him. She was given I think 7 year's for this. And Lance is dead and his family misses him very dearly. How has the Drunk driving Laws been so good for his family ,as well as others including my self. Case in point they make laws that can not be the end all of end alls to save lives. Simply because they are flawed and
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VTwinJim
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09-08-08 11:27 AM
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It is in my best opinion that most people want the right to make a choice as to go into a place that would have smoking or not have smoking. By that business owner's should have the right to make that distinction for their own business. It has been proven time and time again that second hand smoke is not the harmful substance that it's made out to be. The Government should not have the right to dictate to fair minded people what is right and what is wrong where laws are not being broken. I also agree that there are still being to many laws passed for the sake of pork barrel spending, as well as other reason's. Before the new No Smoking law was passed both sides of this issue had the same right's and choices, now it is off set. One side has the right to do go and do their thing where ever they wish and the other side can not, they are now limited. The freedom of there choice has been taken away from them. I see people still blowing their noses in a restaurant and I think it is a rude a
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thendrickson
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09-06-08 1:51 PM
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Just out of curiosity, and this is directed at those who want the ban repealed, how many support say other freedoms like marijuana legalization?
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thendrickson
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09-06-08 1:50 PM
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I have a question. If this is truly an issue of freedom, are you saying it's so because of the application to private businesses? Or the ban in general? I'll accept the aspect of it's application on private businesses, but not on tax payer funded property with a few exceptions. Freedom doesn't mean you can do whatever you want to the detriment of others. There are areas where restricitng smoking is an entirely valid measure, but I'll concede that this is a bit over reaching in certain aspects.
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VTwinJim
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09-06-08 12:50 PM
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I ask you all this question. Do we really want to let our government, Federal and State, keep taking away our right's? I vote no. And I'll Vote McCain / Palin and hope that they will try to be better. I sure hope so.
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RUKIDDINGME
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09-05-08 10:23 PM
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If the state really wants to get some money coming in, they should tax the sale of coffee and any other beverage that contains caffeine.
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REPEAL
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09-05-08 10:01 PM
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Just remember Helen Miller this November and that she voted to take these very freedoms away. Her friend on the other side of the capitol building Daryl Beall also shot at our freedoms. Don't let them re-load.......... repealthesmokingban dot org
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RUKIDDINGME
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09-05-08 9:27 PM
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My hat is off to the bar owners that allow smoking in "their" establishments. If you don't like it, get out. Bunch of whiners in this world. If I don't like the movie, I get up and leave.
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firefly94
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09-05-08 9:06 PM
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These politicians are really something! We vote them in because they have somehow managed to make us believe we can trust them--only to find out they were dropped on their heads after being born b u t t backward! It's really not about smoking or not smoking--Its about FREEDOM! Little by little we are losing our freedom because of these control freak bullies. The bad part is that right about time for the next election, they will have some worthless $$$ gimmick to dangle in front of the nose of the voter. It will be interesting to see what it will be.
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REPEAL
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09-05-08 8:26 PM
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Exactly, it's enough for me to jump ship and vote McCain/Palin
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4fairness
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09-05-08 7:00 PM
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More gas taxes??? Are they kidding me??? Gov Culver and this administration has already spent more money in 2 yrs than Gov Vilsack did the whole time he was in office. And now that administration wants more taxes? Seriously.
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virgilk
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09-05-08 5:39 PM
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Are you worried about your right to breath clean air? I wouldn’t mind a little of it myself. I have yet to find anyone who can find it. It’s not in your homes because of the materials it’s built from. It’s not in your own Kitchen because of cleaning products. It’s not in your yard because of the insecticides you spray. It’s not in your car because of the materials used in the upholstery and the fumes that come into your car while driving. It won’t be anywhere outside because of the pollution due to gas/diesel engines. Look up Burning Issues and see the chart. Be sure to notice the least harmful item on the list. ***********burningissues****/comp-emmis-part-sources.htm Ignore the fact that the EPA Report was vacated as fraudulent. Ignore over 150+ studies that show no harm from SHS. They don’t tell us that living close to major traffic hi-ways or large Urban areas increase the incidence of Cancer or Heart Disease by 50% or more. Ignore the businesses going b
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virgilk
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09-05-08 5:34 PM
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The businesses that are allowing smoking are trying to exist. If business loses were deduced from the Lawmakers who didn't have sense enough to see what has happened in every state with a smoking ban, there would be no smoking bans. California alone has lost over 100 billion because of their ban and don't have sense to repeal it. Not one death has been proven to be caused by SHS. The State and cities end up taking a loss and non-smokers also end up paying higher taxes. Legislators love money and the Pharmaceuticals will pay. Great marketing plan for Smoking Cessation products.
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hometownshame
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09-05-08 5:30 PM
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I love the freedoms we used to have.
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hybernation
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09-05-08 4:51 PM
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maxsedout?? how can people still smoke in the bar in the next town? all of iowa is supposed to be smoke free? & what's the title of thiis article have to do with the expantion of the rest of new hwy. 20, let alone why Lawmakers hint they may tinker with smoking ban?? is that saying the law may be changed?
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maxsedout
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09-05-08 3:23 PM
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I have enforced the no smoking law since day one in my Bar and Restaurant business and have lost some customers because of it. The customers that I have lost went to the next town and bar because they can still smoke there. The state needs to find a better way to enforce this law or just do away with it.
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general
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09-05-08 2:33 PM
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Instead of "tinkering" with the law to allow businesses a CHOICE, they are going to tinker with "real enforcement". So instead of citizen snitches, we can have genuine smoking Nazis! Uniforms! Paddy wagons! More prisons, maybe? Hey, prisons are one of the fastest growing industries in the state. We can either work for one or be in one.
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REPEAL
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09-05-08 2:22 PM
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Oh golly......forgot to mention that the Iowa Veterans Home was supposed to be excluded as well. Our brave suffering Vets in Marshalltown are "excluded" however they are not allowed to smoke anywhere outdoors in their multi-acre facility. That's right.....they cannot light up outdoors anywhere on the premises. They have been forced to smoke inside little and poorly ventilated "boxes" within the buildings. I've been inside these "boxes" in a tour of the facility. It's sick and our VETERANS deserve BETTER!
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REPEAL
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09-05-08 2:18 PM
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Take a look at Florida, for example, they have a ban that excludes bars which make a majority of their income from alcohol sales. The 50% rule. Bars still thrive there, because they were not affected. Our "NANNIES" such as Beall and Miller must go. Their approach to law is Hitleristic. Read your history.....this is exactly how Hitler started!
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REPEAL
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09-05-08 2:14 PM
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As stated, wait until the cold weather hits. Their bottom lines are already affected.......winter will destroy the businesses. Visit repealthesmokingban dot org and you can read first hand testimonials from owners across our nation who have been affected by their state bans, which weren't as harsh as Iowa's ban. The coalition of Iowa Bar and Restaurant Owners is currently suing the state over this ban, if it did not affect business, there would not be a lawsuit.
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Gman77
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09-05-08 1:21 PM
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I agree with REPEAL. If no smoking in bars was such a popular idea, how come there were not smoke-free establishments all over the place. If you want to ban smoking in public places fine but it makes no sense in bars.
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