St. Charles County Won't Vote on Smoking Ban Proposal

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, Circuit Judge Ted House threw out the ballot measure.

St. Charles County Council Keeps Original Ballot Wording for Smoking Ban

Councilman Joe Cronin called a second version with exceptions "weak and watered down."

(The following press release was issued by the St. Charles County Council.) The St. Charles County Council, at a special meeting Saturday morning, decided to stand by its original bill calling for a charter amendment in the form of a ballot proposition concerning a countywide ban on smoking in enclosed public places. The Council considered a new bill that would have changed the ballot language to merge the smoking ban with three exceptions: places requiring patrons and employees to be age at least 21 years of age, private clubs, and 20 percent of hotel rooms. Councilman Joe Cronin, the sponsor of both the original and second bill, said the Council did a lot of “soul-searching” and came to the conclusion that passing “something that was …

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No Smoking Indoors? It's Up to St. Charles County Voters

St. Charles County Council approved placing a smoking ban on the Nov. 6 ballot. County Executive Steve Ehlmann said he planned to sign it.

Voters will have the chance to vote on a county-wide smoking ban at all indoor establishments Nov. 6.  The ballot will ask voters to consider banning smoking in all enclosed indoor places. Then voters would be asked to vote on providing an exemption for private clubs, veterans organizations and establishments that serve and employ people age 21 and up.  The bill passed on a 4-2 vote, with County Council members Joe Cronin, Nancy Matheny, Terry Hollander and Joe White voting in favor of the bill. Councilman Jerry Daugherty and Joe Brazil voted against the bill. Councilman Paul Wynn was present by phone and unable to vote.  Matheny has changed her mind on the smoking ban bill in the three times it has come before the council. In the past, …

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Casino-Backed Smoking Ban Won't Be On November Ballot

Several thousand signatures on petition were found to be invalid, Election Authority said. Organizer Carl Bearden says he'll sue to keep other smoking ban proposed by County Councilman Joe Cronin off the November ballot.

The St. Charles County smoking ban petition backed by Ameristar Casino will not appear on the Nov. 6 ballot because the petitioners did not obtain enough valid signatures, according to the St. Charles Election Authority. Petitioners needed at least 18,535 valid signatures and the Election Authority found that just 14,801 signatures were valid, said Rich Chrismer, director of the election authority.  Many of the signatures turned in either were not registered voters, included a wrong address or were duplicates, Chrismer said.  The petition drive was organized by Carl Bearden, a former state Representative for St. Charles County. It would have offered exemptions to businesses that cater to people over age 21, to the casino, and to businesses…

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Two County Smoking Bans Could Be On November Ballot

Councilman Joe Cronin, District 1, introduces a bill to place smoking ban before voters. Another smoking ban amendment has been proposed by a political action committee funded by Ameristar Casino.

St. Charles County voters may get the chance to vote on two different proposed smoking bans this fall, one of which is backed by Ameristar Casino, another proposed by a councilman. County Councilman Joe Cronin, R-district 1, introduced a bill on Monday that puts the smoking ban before voters on the Nov. 6 ballot. His bill includes exemptions for casinos, private residences, private clubs with no employees and retail tobacco stores. This is his third time trying to place a smoking ban on a ballot. (Read about his earlier efforts here and here). Cronin said the bill is modeled after an earlier bill that was vetoed by County Executive Steve Ehlmann, with a few changes. He said he was prompted to propose it again to give voters a choice in …

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Letter to the Editor: Smoking Ban Bill Limits Local Control

House Bill 2103 would exempt businesses with at least 60 percent retail sales from alcohol, tobacco or entertainment from local smoking bans.

To the Editor: A current Missouri legislative bill co-sponsored by Rep. Kathie Conway (R-St. Charles County) would compromise the health and safety of Missouri citizens as well as prevent them from determining what is best for their local communities. This bill would prohibit Missouri cities and counties from banning smoking in establishments where at least 60 percent of sales come from alcohol, tobacco, or entertainment. Rep. Conway acknowledges that “smoking…is a bad thing.”  Nevertheless she is still co-sponsoring this bill to “give restaurant and bar owners a little more control over their property and business.” If that is the case, then why isn’t she also sponsoring legislation to allow the business owner—and not the local government…

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Smoking Ban Ballot Measures Catch Fire Again in St. Charles County

Two groups work toward placing a some form of a smoking ban before St. Charles County voters in November.

Efforts to place before St. Charles County voters some form of countywide smoking ban may be catching fire again. A number of bar owners and restaurants are considering starting an initiative petition drive to place a ban on the Nov. 6 ballot. But if approved, the measure—an amendment to the county charter—would be less restrictive than a ban suggested by a local anti-smoking coalition. That coalition has also discussed mounting its own initiative petition drive that would place a stricter ban on the same ballot. They discussed this after the St. Charles County Council deadlocked 3-3 on a ballot measure on Nov. 28. Two council members also say they may sponsor new bills—one that could be filed as early as April—to let voters decide on some…

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St. Charles County Voters May Have To Decide Between Two Smoking Ban Measures

One potential measure would have exceptions for the Ameristar Casino and many bars and restaurants, while the other would not.

Top 5 Decisions that impacted St. Charles County in 2011

"Patch" takes a look at five items that made news throughout St. Charles County in 2011.

1. Protesting funeral protests For St. Charles County, 2011 started with shouts of “USA” and choruses of “God Bless America” as a flag and sign-wielding St. Charles County and St. Louis area residents countered a demonstration by four Westboro Baptist Church members. The Topeka, KS-based church members were protesting outside the St. Charles County administrative building and the St. Charles City Hall. The protest was a response to a St. Charles County ordinance prohibiting picketing within 300 feet of funeral services one hour before and one hour after the ceremony. "Ten years ago, we didn't need a law like this because everyone respected people's right to mourn their deceased relatives," said County Executive Steve Ehlmann, at the time…

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