Faced with missing the ballot for the second year in a row, an anti-smoking group has pledged $275,000 to the campaign pushing an initiative to ban indoor smoking in public areas.

The American Cancer Society’s donation will nearly double the campaign’s fundraising and significantly boost Initiative 901’s chance of making the November ballot.

“I was getting a little bit nervous, I must confess,” said Chris Covert-Bowlds of Bellingham, the family doctor who filed I-901. Last year, he was involved with a similar initiative that failed to reach the ballot when contributions from the cancer group and other health-related non-profits fell short of projections...

The campaign, called Healthy Indoor Air for All Washington, had stumbled, despite receiving $323,000 in contributions, the most of any initiative campaign this year. The group had been running a deficit and had stopped paying signature gatherers...

I-901 would prohibit smoking in and near bars, restaurants, bowling centers, minicasinos, most hotel rooms and most other nontribal businesses. Violations would be punishable by a $100 fine.