Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
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Bar and restaurant owners in the rural Western Iowa town of Carroll are frustrated by legislation passed by the Iowa House late Tuesday that would ban smoking in public places statewide. They said the bill’s exemption for casinos and private clubs puts their businesses at a major disadvantage.
What’s more, Kerp’s Tavern co-owner Mardy Badding and Bloomer’s Bar & Grill co-owner Jim Strautman say the bill encroaches on individual property rights.
“I still don’t think the government should tell me I can’t allow it in my own building,” Strautman said.
While he holds firm to the libertarian position, Strautman said what bothered him the most about the House version of the statewide ban is the exemption for Iowa’s casinos – which reportedly flooded the Statehouse with lobbyists and advocates in recent weeks.
“I just don’t think it’s fair,” Strautman said.The bill now heads to the State Senate and would eventually need the governor’s signature. As it stands private clubs would be exempted which could also place local restaurant and bars at a competitive disadvantage in Carroll.
“We’ve already talked to (State Rep.) Rod Roberts (R-Carroll),” Badding said. “He knows our feelings.”
Her initial reaction to the news of the House passage was the same as Strautman’s: If the law is going forward it should carry casinos with it.
“They’ve already taken Lottery machines away from the small businesspeople,” Badding said.
Badding, and her husband, Bill, have operated the tavern in downtown Carroll for 31 years. She estimates that, while smoking percentages vary depending on the time of the day and some patrons just smoke one or two cigarettes when they drink, about 60 percent to 65 percent of an evening’s clientele light up.
She’s been to other states with bar smoking bans. California and Florida are among those states.
“That’s fine in California and places where its warmer but not with weather like we are having,” Badding said.
Strautman said if the government would just stay out of the smoking debate more places would do it on their own.
Many restaurants in Carroll already are non-smoking. Some have been that way for years.
Strautman said Bloomer’s has considered going non-smoking throughout, not just the main eating area which is non-smoking.
“We talked about it,” Strautman said. “I don’t like them to tell me to do it.”
Added Badding, “Again, they’re forcing us into something. It’s like Big Brother.”
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