Up In Smoke
I hate to be the bad guy here, but I will likely get elected the head of the local chapter of the Aryan nation before Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard signs the smoking ban that was passed 19-9 by the City-Council Monday night.
Three Republicans joined all 16 Democrats to pass the measure which bans smoking in virtually all public places, including bars and taverns. Cigar bars and hookah bars are exempt, as well as private clubs as long as they don’t allow minors.
The private club exemption was the point of contention between advocates and the Mayor’s Office. Ballard has made it clear he will not sign any ordinance that doesn’t let private clubs decide whether to remain smoking. The Mayor has 10 days to veto the legislation.
If proponents were smart, they would have taken the amendment offered by Councilor Ryan Vaughn which would have allowed private clubs to make the decision regarding smoking. Now, because of opposition to that nuance, there will be no smoking ban in Indianapolis and people will still be able to light up in bars and taverns.
It is beyond me why someone who, once again, is about to 95 percent of what they want throws that out the window in order to get 100 percent of none of what they want. And if they really think that calling the Mayor’s office is going to make a difference, I have some news for them, it won’t. The handful of people who said a smoking ban was there priority voted for the person who lost the last Mayoral election. On top of that, it didn’t help that the head of Smoke Free Indy was involved in a romantic relationship with that person’s campaign manager.
But those are just collateral issues, the real reason why Stevie Wonder will see a smoking ban before advocates do is because of simple math, there are not enough votes to override a veto. And Democrats won’t need just one vote, they will need at least three. It is one thing to vote for a proposal, it is another thing to vote to override a veto Especially when the you are in the minority on the Council and your Mayor is of the same party and there 47 months left in both your terms which could either be a very long time or a very productive time.
So in the end, what’s the final outcome, unless the smoking ban is amended nothing will happen because it is going to get vetoed. Proponents can hope to have better luck on the other end of Market street today, but here’s a another news flash. Lawmakers are all over the map in both the House and Senate on a smoking ban, so good luck with that one.
