Gulfport City Council
Council Poised to End Beach Smoking Ban
In an effort to end a lawsuit filed against the City of Gulfport, council members voted unanimously to remove a smoking ban on the beach during first reading Tuesday night.
Gulfport City Council members are moving forward with lifting a smoking ban on the beach. During a first reading Tuesday, all five members voted to remove the ban from the beach and allow designated smoking areas at athletic fields and facilities as well as children's outdoor play areas. The decision to remove the ban on the beach comes just one month after a judge in Sarasota ruled the City cannot enforce outdoor smoking restrictions. "A judge has ruled it's unconstitutional," Gulfport City Attorney Andrew Salzman said. The City is currently facing a lawsuit filed by St. Petersburg Attorney Andy Strickland, and the new ordinance is a compromise between the city and Mr. Strickland that would end the pending litigation. “There’s been no …
Scott Ewing
6:33 am on Monday, January 21, 2013
Yes RJ (and the rest of you) you ARE a hater. Some people just have that overwhelming need. A generation ago, it would have been blacks, before that Jews, before that drinkers, Irish, opium smokers, smokers again, Japaneese, Chineese, etc. The mentality is the same; only the target varies. I smoke, I don't litter, and I'm not effecting YOUR health, because secondhand smoke is just an excuse to be… more ›