Casper City Council plans for smoking ban debate
The Casper City Council agreed Thursday to continue on schedule with consideration of a smoking ban proposal.
Initial discussion of the proposal is scheduled for Feb. 13 and a detailed ordinance has yet to be constructed. Mayor Kenyne Schlager suggested during the work session that a separate public meeting be held at a later date to debate the issue. Councilman Paul Bertoglio agreed, adding that two meetings may be necessary.
“The last time we did this, it was five hours the first night for the ‘pro.’ The ‘con’ was five hours the next,” he said.
The issue has been on the council’s radar since discussions started in fall of 2011. Smokefree Natrona County presented a poll in October showing two-thirds of Natrona County voters favored a law to prohibit smoking inside businesses and in public places. The group commissioned the poll, which was conducted by Keating Research Inc. of Colorado, after council members wanted to determine how much support the ordinance would receive.
The firm surveyed 854 registered voters in Natrona County during May and June, and the poll had a 3.4 percent margin of error. Opponents questioned the size of the survey and its accuracy since only registered voters were polled.
A handful of Wyoming cities, including Laramie and Cheyenne, have already enacted smoking ordinances. Casper passed its own ban in 2000, but it was overturned by a voter referendum.