Iola’s Tobacco 21 ordinance, prohibiting the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to adults under 21, will remain on the books.
Like the impassioned, hour-long debate before it, a vote to repeal the ordinance split the eight-member Iola City Council Monday.
With four council members — Aaron Franklin, Bob Shaughnessy, Austin Sigg and Jon Wells — in favor of repealing the ordinance, and four others — Donald Becker, Nancy Ford, Beverly Franklin and Sandy Zornes opposed — the matter went to Mayor Joel Wicoff, who after a moment’s hesitation said he was opposed to the repeal.
The debate covered myriad issues, including civil liberties, a loss of income to area retailers, and whether Iola would be better served if Tobacco 21 were a state law versus a local ordinance.
THE ORDINANCE was approved unanimously by the Council in February, and took effect June 1.
However, Councilmen Aaron Franklin and Sigg both expressed misgivings.
“I made a mistake in my first vote,” Sigg said.
Sigg, Franklin and Shaughnessy all spoke about the civil liberty issue.
“We have 18 year olds who are overseas, bleeding their last drop of blood, and we want to take their choice away,” to smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco, Franklin said. “I’d like to see this go to the city” as a public referendum, he continued. “I can tell you, it’d be pretty overwhelming” — that Iola voters would be opposed.
Franklin said he conducted an online survey through his Facebook page asking whether residents favored Tobacco 21. Of the more than 300 who responded, more than 70 percent were opposed.
Franklin conceded the results might be somewhat skewed — the survey was announced through his Facebook page, and thus opened to a select group.
Sigg, meanwhile, said Tobacco 21 could be a slippery slope, which leads to other lost rights.
“It’s hurting me, taking the freedom away from somebody,” Sigg said.
Is the city’s next move to target obesity and forbid fast food restaurantants from selling hamburgers, he asked rhetorically.
