Smoking Ban Finds an Unlikely Backer

Publication Date: 2005-05-26

• Author: Eric M. Weiss and Lori Montgomery
• Publication:The Washington Post

Anti-smoking advocates were delighted -- but extremely surprised -- when Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) rode to their rescue last week and pledged to support a bill to outlaw smoking in bars and restaurants. After all, Catania last year urged the D.C. elections board to reject a ballot measure that would have instituted such a ban.

Was it the cogent debate that finally got him to switch sides? The incessant lobbying? The overwhelming poll results?

None of the above. It turns out Catania's conversion owes more to the politics of pique.

Catania, it seems, got into a bit of a feud with Council member Carol Schwartz . . .

Catania told Patterson: Get that ban bill ready and send it to his committee! He'd move it out.

If the bill gets out of committee -- any committee -- supporters say they have the votes to push it through to final passage.