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| Council slashes smoking ban fines |
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Sep 18, 2008 |
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Officials bring penalty down to $25 from $500 in order to comply with state court ruling
The STATE: By ADAM BEAM, abeam@thestate.com
Columbia City Council lowered the fine for smoking in bars and restaurants to $25 from $500 Wednesday to comply with a recent state Supreme Court ruling.
Council voted 6-1 ? with Kirkman Finlay voting no ? to amend its smoking ban, which goes into effect Oct. 1.
State law caps fines for smoking violations at $25. Last week, the state Supreme Court ? which had ruled earlier this summer that cities could ban smoking, but not make it a crime ? issued a second ruling that said a $500 fine amounted to a criminal penalty because it was so severe.
Finlay voted against the fine change because he thought it would be unfair to bars and restaurants.
If someone smokes in a bar or restaurant, he or she is fined $25, but the bar or restaurant owner gets a citation. Three citations in six months and the bar or restaurant could lose its business license.
?The person committing the crime ain?t paying much of a fine,? Finlay said.
Mayor Bob Coble said a business would lose its license only if it refused to enforce the ban.
Reach Beam at (803) 771-8405.
? 2008 TheState.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.thestate.com |
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