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Media Release
Monday, October 15, 2007
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Lewisville City Council aims for May referendum on smoking ban
The Lewisville City Council tonight directed city staff to prepare documents for a possible non-binding referendum in May 2008 that would ask voters to offer their views on possible smoking bans at local restaurants and bars.
Council’s direction to staff came at the end of a 30-minute workshop that was open to the public and preceded the regular council meeting. No formal vote was held.
The council had discussed two draft ordinances during an August meeting and considered calling a November election, but decided to leave time for further study. As currently proposed, the May ballot would let voters express their support of or opposition to two different smoking bans, one in restaurants and one in bars, bowling alleys and billiard halls. Under the draft ordinances, a bar is defined as a food-service establishment that generates more than half of its annual revenue from alcohol sales.
There have been at least nine smoking-related elections conducted in eight Texas cities, starting with a Wichita Falls vote in 1994, but only one non-binding public referendum on a possible smoking ban. In all nine elections, voters supported the proposed smoking ban.
Most recently, in May 2007, Baytown voters rejected a repeal of a non-smoking ordinance adopted following a November 2006 election. Other cities where elections have been held on smoking restrictions include Abilene, Austin, Copperas Cove, Corpus Christi, Vernon and Victoria. The vote in Abilene was a non-binding referendum that was followed by an ordinance drafted and approved by the city council that banned smoking in all public buildings.
The council will be presented with an agenda item at a future meeting that would officially call the non-binding referendum in May 2008 and set the official ballot language.
Media contact: Community Relations & Tourism Director James Kunke, (972) 219-3726
Public Election Results
Wichita Falls (1994) – passed
65 percent in favor
35 percent opposed
(creating an ordinance severely restricting smoking in restaurants)
Copperas Cove (Nov. 2004) – passed
61 percent in favor
39 percent opposed
(upholding ordinance to ban smoking in all public buildings)
Austin (May 2005) – passed
52 percent in favor
48 percent opposed
(passed by about 1,000 votes, creating new ordinance banning smoking in all public buildings)
Corpus Christi (Sept. 2005) – passed
16,466 in favor (70 percent)
6,737 opposed (29 percent)
(upholding ordinance to ban smoking in all public buildings)
Victoria (May 2006) – passed
4,830 in favor (70 percent)
2,098 opposed (30 percent)
(creating an ordinance banning smoking in all public buildings)
Vernon (May 2006) – passed
471 in favor (82 percent)
105 opposed (18 percent)
(creating an ordinance banning smoking in all public buildings)
Abilene (Nov. 2006) – passed
15,326 in favor (69 percent)
7,007 opposed (31 percent)
(non-binding vote to ban smoking in all public buildings)
* petition drive in Abilene to force May 2007 vote on repeal failed to collect required signatures.
Baytown (Nov. 2006) – passed
5,306 in favor (57 percent)
4,004 opposed (43 percent)
(creating an ordinance banning smoking in all public buildings)
Baytown (May 2007) – repeal defeated
2,258 in favor of repeal (42 percent)
3,164 opposed to repeal (58 percent)
(petition drive forced a vote on repeal of ordinance)
