Getting Involved in Government Locally Tip #5

I'm sure many of you, while making merry in various South Dakota establishments this holiday season, will wonder what became of the smoking ban that was originally intended to go into effect last July.

A week ago last Friday, Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Trandahl ruled that petitions filed to refer the smoking ban to a public vote met the required number of signatures. Both the State of South Dakota and the American Cancer Society have decided not to appeal the decision to the South Dakota Supreme Court, likely due to the expense of such an appeal.

And so it seems that the smokey or smokeless state of restaurants and bars will be put into our hands next November. Make sure to register to vote in plenty of time (more than 15 days before a SD election) in order to vote your opinion and GIGL.

(Regardless of the ban's status, some restaurants and bars choose to be smoke-free. If you're interested, the following is a link to a list of smoke-free restaurants in eastern South Dakota.)