Via Amanda VanBenschoten (follow her here)
- Campbell Co Fiscal Court meeting packed for first reading of indoor smoking ban. All sides here: pro-ban & anti-ban tea party, biz owners.
- First biz item at Campbell Fiscal Court meeting: Duke Energy giving county $19K grant to buy iPads to go paperless for FC meetings.
- Public hearing underway now at Campbell Fiscal Court meeting on proposed indoor smoking ban. Just a 1st reading; no vote to be held tonight.
- Jim Cline of Cline’s on the River: “We’re ekeing it out now, and this (smoking) ban will wipe us out.”
- Much like a wedding, the room appears to be divided, with ban supporters on the left & opponents on right. At least 120 people in audience.
- Several speakers at public hearing have called proposed indoor smoking ban “socialist”, “communist”.
- Tim Nolan doing a head count now at smoke ban hearing – we might be at or over fire code.
- @avbnky But is smoking allowed at the meeting? / Nope – smoking already banned in gov’t buildings.
- 10 speakers in at indoor smoke ban public hearing, half oppose and half support – but just one of the supporters is a Campbell Co resident.
- Pat Carroll of Buckeye Liquor Permit Holders Assn. says OH smoking ban has driven mom-and-pop bars out of business there.
- 50 min. & 21 speakers in to smoke ban hearing, supporters say it’s a pub health issue & opponents say it’s a property rights issue.
- An hour in to smoke ban public hearing, every ban supporter has thanked Fiscal Ct for taking the issue up & every biz owner opposes ban.
- Another indoor smoke ban public hearing fun fact: Nearly every supporter has urged Fiscal Ct to pass a *comprehensive* ban w/no exemptions.
- Tom Murphy of Cold Spring to Campbell Fiscal Ct on smoke ban: “Gary Moore and Ralph Drees owe you guys big time” for taking political heat.
- Of the 30 speakers at smoke ban public hearing, 14 oppose it (13 of them live or own biz in Campbell) & 13 support ban (4 live in Campbell)
- William Baxter, a jukebox vendor from Anderson Twp, says his biz down 34%, has had to lay off 4 due to OH smoking ban.
- Nolan needles Pendery; now in a spat with Dave Otto over comments during election.
- Campbell Co public hearing on indoor smoke ban just hit 2 hrs & 45 speakers.
- Smoke ban fun fact: 38% of Campbell Co bizn are now smoke-free. NKY-wide, 75% of restaurants (not incl. bars-only) are smoke-free.
