Blog Recap: Clayton Hosts Conversation on Regional Smoking Policy

Officials from St. Louis City and the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson were scheduled to meet Tuesday in Clayton to discuss smoking policy in the region, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The following are highlights from the meeting as it happened.

4:18 P.M.: The meeting has adjourned.

4:17 P.M.: Cronin said he can envision that it would be pretty easy to draft an ordinance to lift an exemption on smoking at casinos in St. Charles County in the event that surrounding counties were to do the same.

4:12 P.M.: Stenger said there has been talk of limiting exemptions to the St. Louis County smoking ban. "It would certainly tend to level the playing field" in terms of concerns about the economic effects of the ban, he said, noting that he is not speaking on behalf of other council members.

4:09 P.M.: The meeting has begun. Participating in the meeting are St. Charles District 1 Councilman Joe Cronin, St. Charles District 2 Councilman Brazil, St. Charles District 7 Councilman John White and St. Louis County District 6 Councilman Steve Stenger.

3:48 P.M.: Joe Brazil stood outside of the St. Louis County Council chambers on Tuesday. The chairman of the St. Charles County Council said that while he opposes a smoking ban across the board, his county and others surrounding it need to "have a more consistent metropolitan smoking ban." He said it's probably not a bad idea that these counties get together on other issues, though he can't recall a gathering such as this one happening about other topics. "It's a hopeful approach," Brazil said.