By ANNIE GOELLER, Daily Journal of Johnson County staff writer
Smokers can still light up in restaurants and businesses in towns and unincorporated parts of the county.
The county commissioners took no action on a smoking ban that would have prevented smoking in all businesses in Johnson County, including bars.
The three-member board could revive the proposal if one of the two who are against it changes his mind.
Commissioners R.J. McConnell and Tom Kite won’t approve a countywide ban, they said, and were silent when commissioner Mitch Ripley asked for votes to pass it at a Monday meeting.
Among McConnell’s reasons for not approving a smoking ban: it wasn’t one of his campaign issues, he said.
“I’m not comfortable picking up the torch on an issue having never addressed it in my campaign (for office),” he said.
A statewide ban, however, has McConnell’s backing.
He, the county board of health and a local health advocacy group will write letters to Gov. Mitch Daniels asking for a statewide smoking ban in all workplaces.
Those who worked for smoking bans in Johnson County won’t be asking for more bans locally.
Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County and the board of health will not go to the towns, such as Whiteland and Bargersville, unless elected officials there ask for suggestions on a ban.
Smoking bans in Greenwood and Franklin still stand. Greenwood’s ban started April 22, and Franklin’s will begin Aug. 1.
“I’m happy to have (a ban) at least in place in the two cities since that’s where most of the population is,” board of health president Debbie Swinehamer said.
About 20 people came to the meeting Monday. Seven people, mostly employees of the health department, Johnson Memorial Hospital or members of the board of health and Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County, asked commissioners to approve the ban.
One person spoke against it.
After about an hour of discussion, McConnell and Commissioner Tom Kite said they wouldn’t support a ban because government shouldn’t tell private businesses how to run.
Supporters said the commissioners had let down the workers by not protecting them from the dangers of second-hand smoke.
“They’re protecting their own rights or habits more than the people,” Swinehamer said.
Swinehamer hoped commissioners would follow the lead of Greenwood, Franklin and Indianapolis officials who approved smoking bans this year.
They argued the ban was needed to protect all workers, such as Franklin College students waiting tables.
“This is not just a restaurant issue and it’s certainly not a patron issue. This is a worker issue,” said Jane Blessing, coordinator for Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County.
The lone dissenter, Floyd Watson of Trafalgar, said the county shouldn’t interfere.
“In a free country, I have the right to make choices and they’re not always the right choices. But what are we gonna ban next?” asked Watson, who owns a barbershop.
McConnell and Kite both said government should tell private businesses what to do.
“If you’re paying the property taxes and the mortgage, it’s your choice to smoke in your place of business,” Kite said.
McConnell said he would rather see the issue taken on by the state or the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, which oversees safety and health issues in workplaces.
After the meeting, McConnell met with about five supporters still lingering in the hallway who asked him to back up his words by drafting a letter to Gov. Mitch Daniels.
McConnell worked out a deal: if both supporting groups would write a letter to the governor, he would include a letter endorsing their request for a statewide smoking ban.
Smoking bans have been approved all around central Indiana during the past year. The ban in Johnson County was one of the first not approved by local officials. Carmel city officials also rejected a proposed change to include all restaurants, such as taverns and bars, in the ban already in place.
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