Coalition joins push to snuff ban
Backs referendum on smoking law
Lee Sensenbrenner
August 10 , 2005

A moderate local political coalition is joining the effort to hold a referendum on Madison's smoking ban and supports temporarily suspending the smoke-free ordinance until the public votes on the matter.

"The people need to be heard on this issue," Common Sense Coalition leader Ray Allen said in a release today. "Clearly the ban is having a negative effect on Madison tavern owners, their employees and other small businesses."

Allen, a former Madison School Board member and the new publisher of Madison Times newspaper, said that a February 2006 referendum would "put the issue to rest" and would be "the best way for us to truly understand the will of the people."

Another group, the Coalition to Save Madison Jobs, which recently formed to return smoking to bars, is first pushing for immediate action on the city's smoke-free ordinance before going to the polls. The group's campaign for now is to repeal the smoking ban by coming up with 11 votes on the City Council, although members have also discussed a referendum.

The most recent council members to express a willingness to reconsider the issue are Ald. Zach Brandon and Ald. Noel Radomski, both of whom said late last week that they favor an advisory referendum on the matter.

Initially, just five of 20 council members voted against the ban. Ald. Santiago Rosas has since changed his position and opposes the ban, while Ald. Lauren Cnare said that she is "interested in compromise that protects worker health and may save some of these bars."

In addition to efforts of the Common Sense Coalition and the Coalition to Save Madison Jobs, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is gathering responses from its members to continue its fight against the smoke-free ordinance.

The chamber's survey is preceded by a note that says that "many small businesses in Madison have expressed concern about the negative impact the ordinance is having on them. In fact, many report that the ordinance may ultimately drive them out of business."

Members are then asked where their business is, how it's been effected by the smoke-free ordinance and whether they'd support repealing the smoking ban.

Original article