Smoking ban foes fail to get enough signatures for vote

Publication Date: 2007-06-12

• Publication:Toledo Blade

Bars, taverns, bowling alleys, and private clubs were dealt a serious blow yesterday in their effort to ask voters in November to revisit Ohio's strict new ban on smoking in indoor public places.

Attorney General Marc Dann determined that supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment fell well short of the 1,000 valid signatures of registered voters needed just to put the proposed language before him for review.

Bill Delaney, owner of Delaney's Lounge in Toledo and a member of the committee behind the issue, said the effort has decided to shift gears and will pursue an initiated statute instead of a constitutional amendment.