Smoking ban debates aren't changing minds before vote

When Butch Hammontree walked into the Show Me Center Tuesday night, he was already leaning toward voting in favor of the proposed Cape Girardeau smoking ban in Tuesday's election.

For an hour, he listened as both sides of the issue debated the real or imagined dangers of secondhand smoke, the strong or zero impact a ban would have on business and even a brief foray into a discussion on the Federalist Papers and what they say about property rights.

All interesting, the Cape Girardeau resident said after.

Hammontree still plans to vote yes.

"It didn't change my mind," he said. "The opposition kept talking about the bars and restaurants being private property. But it's private property that's open to the public. I actually became more convinced that this is a health issue."

Likewise, Pat Wells of Cape Girardeau has attended two of the debates and she thought before going to the first one she would vote no. After going to both, she still will.

"I think the arguments are well established," she said. "Is it a health issue or not? I don't think it is. I think it's about government intruding on a business owner's rights."

Citizens for a Smoke-Free Cape and Stand Up Cape have debated the issue several times in public and for five months in the media. Both sides said they have no expectations about changing people's minds about the ban that would prohibit smoking in all public workplaces, including bars, restaurants, casinos and private clubs.

"People coming to these events seem to already have their minds made up," said Shelly Wood, a member of Smoke-Free Cape who participated in the four-person debate Monday in front of about 30 people along with fellow member Dale Humphries. "Maybe we're just re-emphasizing what they already believe. But if somebody hasn't made up their mind, we hope they'll listen to what we have to say and they can make an informed decision."

Wood said she was "cautiously optimistic" about Tuesday's results, a sentiment also expressed by the opposition. Don Greenwood, who represented Stand Up Cape along with Nancy Kennemore said the American Cancer Society dumped another huge donation into Smoke-Free Cape's coffers after he participated in a phone poll the group is conducting.

"That made me think they think they're they're in trouble," Greenwood said.

Still, Kennemore said, she is holding out hope their message will reach fence straddlers who are reading about the issue, watching it on television or hearing about it on the radio. Or maybe even cause them to switch sides.

"We're hoping they hear some truth and realize that this is an issue of property owner's rights," she said.

The issue began when proponents began collecting signatures to get the issue on the ballot in November. The debate Tuesday was hosted by KRCU radio station and the League of Women Voters of Southeast Missouri.

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