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Smoking ban proposals spreading across the region
September 13, 2004

St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly has vetoed a citywide smoking ban proposal for a second time. (MPR file photo)

Since St. Paul began considering banning smoking in public places last May, the smoking ban movement has spread throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. Next, the debate takes center stage in Ramsey and Hennepin counties. Ramsey County commissioners may vote Tuesday on an ordinance that would ban smoking in restaurants. And in Hennepin County, commissioners are holding a hearing on a smoking ban in restaurants and bars.

St. Paul, Minn. — The Twin Cities aren't at the forefront of the smoking ban movement. Bans are already in place in big cities like New York and Boston. And there are smoking restrictions in Minnesota too. Corrine Ertz, a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society, tracks the smoking restrictions in the state.

"Duluth, Minnesota, has had an ordinance in effect for several years now. Olmsted County has had an ordinance in effect. There are restaurant ordinances in Moose Lake, Minnesota, and Cloquet," says Ertz.

Beltrami County and the city of Moorhead also passed restrictions. But any proposals that take effect in the metro area will cover more establishments and more people, and so stand to have a more dramatic effect than their predecessors in the state. In March 2005, Minneapolis and Bloomington are scheduled to start new smoking restrictions in bars and restaurants. They approved their "no smoking" laws last month.

Ironically, they didn't even have bans on the agenda last May when St. Paul City Council Member David Thune introduced a ban on smoking for all of the city's bars and restaurants. And even though he's been unsuccessful so far, Thune says he's not ready to quit yet.

"Ultimately, we'll just keep coming back, because it will happen," says Thune. "It may be in a different form, we may take a different tack, but the issue won't go away. We won't let people down."

But Thune has been unable to get a "no smoking" ordinance past St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly. Kelly has vetoed bans twice -- most recently Monday. And, for the second time, an override seems unlikely.

The mayor says he favors a plan by Ramsey County, which includes St. Paul. That plan would ban smoking in all restaurants and bars that earn less than half their money from liquor sales.

"This ordinance would give uniformity across the entire county, and would eliminate almost 90 percent of second-hand smoke in bars and restaurants in St. Paul. This is a common sense compromise," Kelly says.

If approved, the Ramsey County proposal could go into effect as early as March 31, 2005 -- the same date as the Minneapolis and Bloomington bans. Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega is confident the smoking ban will pass. He says the issue is one whose time has come.

"I think the issue is very much cultural. As we have a cultural change going on, I think the issue is just ripe to take place now," says Ortega.

The smoking ban fever has spread. Mankato is considering a ban, as is Hennepin County. Commissioners there will hold a hearing on a proposal to ban smoking in all bars and restaurants. They could vote on the measure as early as Tuesday, but will likely put off the vote until Sept. 28.

If the no smoking measures in Hennepin and Ramsey counties are approved, smoking would be banned in about 70 percent of the Twin Cities metro area.

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