An initiative petition seeking to prohibit smoking in public indoor places has received the proper amount of signatures and will now go before Springfield City Council.
Independent advocacy group Clean Air Springfield started the petition on Nov. 2, and it has since gained 1,227 valid signatures, 46 more than required to bring the petition to council, according to a city news release.
Council now has 30 days to either adopt the proposal as an ordinance or place it on the ballot for the April 5 municipal election.
Council is expected to hold a public hearing at its Jan. 10 meeting and take final action by its Jan. 24 meeting, the release said.
Carrie Reynolds, Clean Air Springfield spokeswoman, said the group will be in attendance when council discusses the proposed ordinance.
"We are planning to be there to be a spokesperson for clean air and certainly encourage the community to support the ordinance," she said.
The proposed ordinance isn't the first time the advocacy group has attempted to push its smoke-free agenda.
Then working as One Air Alliance, the group attempted similar legislation this summer, with the backing of Springfield Mayor Jim O'Neal, according to
Springfield Business Journal archives.
O’Neal and council members Dan Chiles, John Rush and Cindy Rushefsky sponsored an ordinance that sought to amend the current law passed in 2003 which provides exemptions to bars and restaurants. The ordinance would have banned smoking in nearly all public spaces, but the ordinance was ultimately withdrawn after it ran into problems with further exemptions, including tobacco shops and some organizations such as veterans groups.
Now, under the banner of Clean Air Springfield, the group has shifted gears and wants to bring the decision to the voters.
"After our attempt to get this passed through council didn't work earlier in the summer, we decided to regroup and take it to the people," Reynolds said. "We decided to form a new group that would be solely devoted to putting this on the ballot."[[In-content Ad]]
