About a week after the relaunch of Smoke-free EBR, it appears a group of Metro Council members have reached a consensus that could lead to the passage of a smoking ban in Baton Rouge bars and casinos.
Seven council members today filed a draft ordinance to extend the smoking ban to additional enclosed public spaces in East Baton Rouge.
Council members Chauna Banks, LaMont Cole, Donna Collins-Lewis, Barbara Freiberg, Erika Green, Matt Watson and Tara Wicker placed their names on the ordinance, which was added the agenda of the council’s June 14 meeting for introduction.
Once introduced, a public hearing will follow on June 28.
Randy Hayden, a spokesman for Smoke-free EBR, says he’s excited a favorable consensus appears to have been reached on the proposed smoking ban.
“We’ve been working with council people for quite some time and we were waiting to get a consensus on a plan that would give us seven votes before we submitted the ordinance,” Hayden tells Daily Report. “We think we have consensus on a plan.”
While the proposed ban appears to have the necessary votes to pass, Hayden says there are parts of the draft ordinance that Smoke-free EBR would like to see strengthened.
“There are aspects of the legislation that we’re not happy with, such as the exemption for private clubs, and it’s a little unclear as how that would be defined and enforced,” he says.
For now, he’s urging constituents to contact their council members.
A similar effort by Smoke-free EBR died last year on the Metro Council floor with a 6-6 vote. Metro Council members that voted against the ordinance said it was overreaching.
