By Kathy Burns

Smokers at Gordie’s Bar and Grill in Centerville, enjoyed one last legal cigarette just before midnight, Monday, when the new smoking ban went into effect.

Consensus among the smokers, as well as those who don’t smoke, was that the law was poorly written, it didn’t address the goals set by the Clean Air Act, and had too many exemptions favoring large businesses.

Eddie Smith, a local birddog trainer who said he’s been coming to Gordie's for a long time, said the people in Iowa should have been informed about the details of the law when it was first proposed, then allowed to vote on it.

“Something like this, that is taking away a civil right, isn’t supposed to just be signed and enforced,” he said. “There were better ways they could have done it. We all need to be allowed to speak up on something like this.”

Barb Burns of Centerville said she agrees with the basic idea of keeping children free from second hand smoke, but doesn’t see how banning smoking in bars will make any difference. “Kids don’t come in the bar in the first place,” she said. “And if people don’t want to be around smoke, then they can just stay away from the bar. Simple.”

She said the law makes even less sense because of loopholes exempting certain public places like the Iowa State Fairgrounds and all Iowa gaming casinos. “Why is anything allowed to be exempt,” she asked. “The law says any public place.”

Willa Parks, who doesn’t smoke, said she doesn’t need a law in place making decisions for her. “I decide if I’m going to be around smoke or not,” she said. “No one else has the right to make that decision for me, or anyone else.”

She said she’s concerned about the ban because it’s a civil rights issue. “This is an example of the government getting way too much authority,” she said. “Our free speech is already gone. We don’t have any privacy in our lives. Now this. I don’t feel like we’re living in a free country anymore.”

Rhonda Foster said she agrees with Parks. “This smoking ban is just another right taken away. I should have the right to come in here and have a cigarette if I want to. If other people don’t want to be around the smoke then they should have the right to go someplace else.”

Apache Clark said he is fed up with the government taking away the rights of working people. “I work 10 hours a day working horses,” he said. “When I’m off, I come here to relax, have a beer and a smoke. Now they tell me I can’t do that? And, they say they’ll even bust me if I’m out on the sidewalk smoking? We all need to wake up.”