Petition against smoking ban fails
6/17/2009
DAVID CLOUSTON
The opponents of Salina’s clean indoor air ordinance have come up significantly short of the signatures they needed on a petition seeking to call a special election to have voters decide the issue of a public smoking ban.
Although the opponents claimed to have 2,150 signatures gathered, the Saline County Clerk’s office could find only 1,757 on the 90 pages of petitions that were turned in by Gary Swartzendruber and Beth Owens on June 9. Opponents are seeking to have the ordinance, which took effect May 2, repealed.
The ordinance bans smoking in nearly all public places, including bars, private clubs and bingo parlors.
The number of signatures that could be verified totaled 994, short 396 from the 1,390 signatures that were needed, said Saline County Clerk Don Merriman. That number represents 25 percent of Salina city voters who cast ballots in the last election.
Only city voters were eligible to sign the petition. Many signers were either not registered to vote or their addresses they listed didn’t match the address in the voting registration records, Merriman said.
For more on the failure of the anti-ban petition, read reporter David Clouston's story in Thursday's Salina Journal.
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Sam says....
Oh my gosh. Do people have no choices anymore? If you don't want to go somewhere there is smoke, go somewhere else. Its that simple
6/26/2009
Julie says....
SAYS,found an electronic cigarette,well,stay away from the electric ones,they are hell in the rain,or the bathtub.You smokers are really hilarious
6/26/2009
Darla says....
to TRY IT AGAIN!Don't come knocking on my door with your nonsense.I'm to busy, and your whipping a dead horse.The ban is working marvelously,keep it up Salina!
6/26/2009
Herr Kommissar says....
Hurray! Hurray! The anti-freedom mongers won! Next up McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC. Better watch your back, Dickinson Theaters, those R-rated movies are ruining society.
6/26/2009
says....
I found an Electronic Cigarette that allows me to smoke in banned areas and I really like it. The reason is because when you exhale there is no smoke only vapor and they allow you to choose the level of nicotine that you want. Friday on CNN they did a piece on the Electronic Cigarettes and said the same thing plus a number of other positive points. If you want to check it out go to this link myinlife.com/smokeelc
6/25/2009
Try it again says....
Considering that most petitions were at bars, meaning most probably had a few drinks and probably didnt remember where they lived at the time they signed it or couldnt remember if they are registered voters. Opponents need to reorganize and go door to door...
6/18/2009
Leroy Tyrebyter says....
Invalid names? Imagine that, I signed the petition and I am not invalid. I demand that the names be verified by the lollypop guild at once! They are the only ones who I will accept as neutral...
6/17/2009
Ted says....
Swartzendruber is a good guy, but he's been way out in left (or is it right) field against clean air. For the good life, public health has to trump private interests.
6/17/2009
Dave says....
Sounds like ACORN was collecting the petition,and signatures,not even registered,(gotta bribe em,opponents)maybe with a smoke,and addresses not matching up.Their simply isn't that many smokers to rule anymore,not in this day and age.It won't be so bad,it will actually be a good thing for the great majority.Obama signed that anti tobacco bill,and i hear he's trying to quit.We'll never know.
6/17/2009
Captain Kirk says....
The Chief Election Officer Don Merriman & his staff are responsible for the certification of the petitions. You can be assured he and his staff did an honest and complete job with the utmost integrity!
6/17/2009
honesty is the best policy says....
Gary Swartzendruber and Beth Owens trying to cheat the system... shame shame shame!
6/17/2009
Just Wondering says....
Who says the personal that did the counting did not leave any numbers out, which has happened before, and before anyone could verify what the count was. Was it just the court house personal doing the counting instead of a neutral party?
6/17/2009
says....
Hopefully the opponents will now let it rest. Will they be footing the bill for the extra time and energy it took Mr. Merriman's office to validate their petition?
6/17/2009
haha says....
Not even half of the signatures they claimed to have... Apparently smoking kills brain cells.
6/17/2009
clancy says....
If the petition failed to get the right number of signatures for a repeal of the smokefree ordinance, we can assume that most Salina folks favor having smokefree air in public places and workplaces.
6/17/2009
bryan weil says....
this is great news
6/17/2009
theinsensitiveone says....
Thank God our city government can still tell our private businesses how to operate. It's like having our own mini Obama administration right here at home.
6/17/2009
Really ? says....
Hilarious. Imagine that.
6/17/2009
Salina.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here. Read our full online terms of service policy.
Juan says....
I found a new electronic cigarette which allows me to hear my fav.tune..'taps'between puffs.When I inhale and exhale,my wheezing,flimmed chest stays in tune,am i the only one that hears the beautiful music?
6/26/2009
Sam says....
Oh my gosh. Do people have no choices anymore? If you don't want to go somewhere there is smoke, go somewhere else. Its that simple
6/26/2009
Julie says....
SAYS,found an electronic cigarette,well,stay away from the electric ones,they are hell in the rain,or the bathtub.You smokers are really hilarious
6/26/2009
Darla says....
to TRY IT AGAIN!Don't come knocking on my door with your nonsense.I'm to busy, and your whipping a dead horse.The ban is working marvelously,keep it up Salina!
6/26/2009
Herr Kommissar says....
Hurray! Hurray! The anti-freedom mongers won! Next up McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC. Better watch your back, Dickinson Theaters, those R-rated movies are ruining society.
6/26/2009
says....
I found an Electronic Cigarette that allows me to smoke in banned areas and I really like it. The reason is because when you exhale there is no smoke only vapor and they allow you to choose the level of nicotine that you want. Friday on CNN they did a piece on the Electronic Cigarettes and said the same thing plus a number of other positive points. If you want to check it out go to this link myinlife.com/smokeelc
6/25/2009
Try it again says....
Considering that most petitions were at bars, meaning most probably had a few drinks and probably didnt remember where they lived at the time they signed it or couldnt remember if they are registered voters. Opponents need to reorganize and go door to door...
6/18/2009
Leroy Tyrebyter says....
Invalid names? Imagine that, I signed the petition and I am not invalid. I demand that the names be verified by the lollypop guild at once! They are the only ones who I will accept as neutral...
6/17/2009
Ted says....
Swartzendruber is a good guy, but he's been way out in left (or is it right) field against clean air. For the good life, public health has to trump private interests.
6/17/2009
Dave says....
Sounds like ACORN was collecting the petition,and signatures,not even registered,(gotta bribe em,opponents)maybe with a smoke,and addresses not matching up.Their simply isn't that many smokers to rule anymore,not in this day and age.It won't be so bad,it will actually be a good thing for the great majority.Obama signed that anti tobacco bill,and i hear he's trying to quit.We'll never know.
6/17/2009
Captain Kirk says....
The Chief Election Officer Don Merriman & his staff are responsible for the certification of the petitions. You can be assured he and his staff did an honest and complete job with the utmost integrity!
6/17/2009
honesty is the best policy says....
Gary Swartzendruber and Beth Owens trying to cheat the system... shame shame shame!
6/17/2009
Just Wondering says....
Who says the personal that did the counting did not leave any numbers out, which has happened before, and before anyone could verify what the count was. Was it just the court house personal doing the counting instead of a neutral party?
6/17/2009
says....
Hopefully the opponents will now let it rest. Will they be footing the bill for the extra time and energy it took Mr. Merriman's office to validate their petition?
6/17/2009
haha says....
Not even half of the signatures they claimed to have... Apparently smoking kills brain cells.
6/17/2009
clancy says....
If the petition failed to get the right number of signatures for a repeal of the smokefree ordinance, we can assume that most Salina folks favor having smokefree air in public places and workplaces.
6/17/2009
bryan weil says....
this is great news
6/17/2009
theinsensitiveone says....
Thank God our city government can still tell our private businesses how to operate. It's like having our own mini Obama administration right here at home.
6/17/2009
Really ? says....
Hilarious. Imagine that.
6/17/2009
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