The issue has been dated for over a year, and last night the City Council in Irving, Texas passed an ordinance by a 6-3 vote that will ban smoking in all public places in the city with the exception of 8 restaurants and 1 bingo parlor.
The board was pushing for a complete ban, with no exceptions and after the vote the chairman of the city’s Board of Health and 2 other colleague resigned at the conclusion of the vote. The resignations come because they did not get their way.
The 9 exceptions were present at the time of the vote, and no comment was issued as to why they got exemptions and other’s did not.
The mayor of Irving, Beth Van (Republican) who opposed the proposal feels that the new law creates discrimination.
The new measure goes into effect immediately, however the businesses not granted an exemption will have 6 months to become compliant.
Irving, Texas is home to over 228,000 residents over 67.7 square miles and was founded in 1914.
