Petition May Stop Smoking Ban

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By Cliff Chandler

Story Created: May 8, 2009 at 5:27 PM CST

Story Updated: May 8, 2009 at 5:27 PM CST

People upset with the legislature's decision to strengthen South Dakota's smoking ban have more than half the signatures needed to push the issue to a statewide vote.

The law would force smokers to step outside casinos, bars, and video lottery establishments if they want to smoke.

Right now, they say they have between 9,000 and 9,500 valid signatures. They need a total of 16,776 signatures by June 29th in order to get a public vote in 2010.

If they don't get the valid signatures in time, the law will go into effect July 1st this year.

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Thursday, May 21 at 5:00 PM health care worker wrote ...

YOU KNOW LUNG CANCER ISN'T THAT BAD. MODERN medicine can keep people alive for a very long time with lung disease,and I can assure you that you will suffer for a very long time. not being able to walk for any distance , becoming constipated because you can't bear down because you're so short of breath. if this is how you want to spend your last years on this earth, then smoke smoke smoke. and lets not forget the other people you will be affecting, you will suffer a very long time.

Saturday, May 9 at 6:03 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Actually, I hardly ever go to bars in this state anymore because of the smoking. Nor did I when I lived in Illinois until they passed the smoking ban there. I went perhaps once a year and could not stay long because of the smoke so I'm no hypocrite. This is a health issue and the health of those around smokers trumps their right to smoke. Go outside or quit. You'll be better off in the long run and so will we all.

Saturday, May 9 at 5:14 PM to whom it may concern wrote ...

Exactly. The way I see it, it's the people supporting the ban that are being extremely immature about the whole thing. Didn't hear any of you people whining about it before this whole smoke ban came about. You're just trying to jump on a band wagon to have something to Bi*** about, not because of anything else. If it bothered you guys that much, you would have stopped going to the bars a long time ago and this ban would have been brought up a long time ago.

Saturday, May 9 at 4:31 PM Kay wrote ...

There's no need to start calling people names. Everyone has their down falls, even you guys. There is no reason to threaten and insult people. We asre all adults lets act like it.

Saturday, May 9 at 4:15 PM Give up wrote ...

The topic line Says Petition may stop smoking ban, This is wrong it should read Petition may DELAY smoking ban, or better yet Petition may DELAY and COST tax payer more money after sent to a vote. Smokers think about it its only a DELAY lets get on with it and try and save some lungs starting now.

Saturday, May 9 at 2:20 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Don't sign this petition! Please tell your bar going friends not to. It will be a waste of taxpayer money if this is put on the November 2010 ballot because polls have shown that 60% of voters would vote yes. The point of a petition is to overturn unpopular laws like radical abortion bans not popular ones supported by the public like this.

Saturday, May 9 at 11:34 AM Anonymous wrote ...

WHITE trash? What about other colors that smoke? They trash too? Racism still alive! You people are more racist than whites are.

Saturday, May 9 at 7:51 AM boycott wrote ...

we should boycott all smoking establishments for 60 days and see who wants to sign it after that. come on smoking bar owners figure it out you lose. losers

Saturday, May 9 at 7:49 AM petitions wrote ...

I heard they gave up on the petition because they knew it was a lost cause. to bad the abortion people dont know how to give up.

Saturday, May 9 at 7:48 AM losers wrote ...

anybody who signs this petition is a whitetrash loser. even california the most liberal state passed this more than 10 years ago. why are people fighting this its a waste of time and money and effort that could go to actually making this state a better place not putting it in a cloud of smoke behind everybody else.

Saturday, May 9 at 2:02 AM hahahahahahaha...go figure wrote ...

lmfao and i would like to know where your info is coming from anon. signatures have to be turned in by june 29th but then again shows how educated the people really are in this state. whine , complain and cry and ya cant even get that straight

Saturday, May 9 at 1:59 AM anon wrote ...

what does it matter its a senseless question, why do people molest kids? why do people murder? who cares they are questions that cant be answered its about the same as the guy putting the gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger quite frankly it has nothing to do with me and thats the only answer that matters to me

Friday, May 8 at 9:48 PM Anon wrote ...

A close family member recently thought she had a lingering cold, when one day she ran to her car in the rain and she couldn't catch her breath afterwards. Come to find out, she has lung cancer that has spread to her liver and lymphnodes. I know some cancers you can't prevent...but tell me why people smoke when the consequences are so horrendous? She even helped a fellow smoker go through cancer and die just last year. Ban or not, can a smoker tell me a positive reason why they smoke??

Friday, May 8 at 9:21 PM Anonymous wrote ...

They stopped taking signitures last week your to late

Friday, May 8 at 7:17 PM Anonymous wrote ...

I've read two of these about the petition, where do I sign it at????

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