Tuesday’s meeting of the City of Montgomery’s Health, Education & Recreation Standing Committee met at Montgomery City Hall to discuss and hear concerns of a new smoking ban smoking in Montgomery.
The ordinance would ban all smoking in most city buildings including private clubs and bars. Additionally, smoking will be banned within 20 feet of business entrances, public transportation sites and playgrounds.
The ban is being sponsored by City Councilman C.C. Calhoun. According to Calhoun, “One of the valid points that came up was that it should be business owners right to say whether he wants to be a smoking establishment or a non-smoking establishment” However, no word on what the validity of that comment will do to change the ordinance.
There will be another meeting in 2015 before an official vote is taken.
Montgomery, Alabama is home to 201,000 residents over 155 square miles and was founded in 1819.
Update 12/22: On Monday, the committee voted to move the ordinance out of committee and to be heard by the full council on January 6th. The councilman sponsoring the bill C.C. Calhoun doesn’t believe a vote will come until February.
The ordinance was modified to place exemptions for cigar and hookah bars. Despite the exemption, Dave Harwood who owns Havana Dreamin’ said, “The existing smoking laws are quite just and adequate as they are now and this ordinance, as originally proposed, would take a licensed, legal business and put it out of business for no good reason.”
