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Kansas City News Today Kansas City Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in Kansas City. |
KANSAS CITY NEWS TODAY - Sunday, March 23, 2008 Voters Will Be Asked to Consider New Smoking Ordinance KANSAS CITY, (kansascityfrontpage.com), March 23, 2008 - On April 8, 2008, voters will be asked to consider a new smoking ordinance that would prohibit smoking in enclosed public places, including bars and restaurants and on public sidewalks abutting acute care hospitals. For this measure to pass, a simple majority of "yes" votes must be cast. The current law and the proposed ordinance both ban smoking in enclosed public places, places of employment and on sidewalks abutting acute care hospitals. The main difference is that the ordinance effective March 24, 2008 bans smoking in concourses at the Truman Sports Complex, but allows smoking in bars and would allow smoking in a business establishment with a liquor license after 9 p.m. if those under 21 years of age are not permitted. The proposed ordinance would prohibit smoking in bars. Where else will smoking be prohibited under this ordinance? Smoking also will be prohibited in enclosed places of employment and enclosed public places such as theaters, hospitals, bingo halls, offices, banks, retail stores, bars and restaurants. Are there any places where smoking is not prohibited by this ordinance? Yes. With the exception of the public sidewalks abutting acute care hospitals, the ordinance does not regulate smoking in places that are not enclosed. Smoking also is not prohibited by this ordinance in private residences and in up to 25 percent of hotel or motel rooms designated as smoking rooms. Would people be able to smoke in casinos? Yes. Casino gaming areas will be exempt until all casinos located in the Missouri counties of Jackson, Platte and Clay, and the Kansas counties of Johnson and Wyandotte (the relevant counties) are obligated by ordinance, statute or law to prohibit smoking within the casino areas where gambling games are allowed. Do business owners have any responsibilities under this ordinance? Yes. Business owners and managers cannot knowingly permit, cause, suffer or allow any person to violate the provisions of the smoking ordinance. Owners and managers are responsible for asking customers or visitors to extinguish all smoking products and must post "No Smoking" signs at all entrances to the establishment. What are the penalties for violations of this ordinance? 1. A person who smokes in an area where smoking is prohibited by the provisions of this article shall be guilty of an ordinance violation, punishable by a fine not exceeding $50. 2. A person having control of a public place or place of employment and who fails to comply with the provisions of this article shall be guilty of an ordinance violation, punishable by: (1) A fine not exceeding $100 for a first violation; (2) A fine not exceeding $200 for a second violation within a one-year period; and, (3) A fine not exceeding $500 for a third violation and subsequent violations within a one-year period. The ordinance would go into effect 60 days after passage.   The Kansas City Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Kansas City area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 2007 - 2008 Moore Design Group. |
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