Recently, Attorney John Steward from Meyerkord & Kurth LLC has filed a lawsuit against the city of St. Louis for not allowing the guests and customers of The Trophy Room, a state-licensed casino gaming area, to smoke indoors. He states that the city’s smoking ban is unconstitutional in this particular case since it unjustly allows exceptions to casinos and The Trophy Room runs Club Keno, a gambling area.
Why Does the Ban Exist?
The city of St. Louis instated a city smoking ban law. This law affects all public areas, including bars. In 2011, some bars, including The Trophy Room, were granted a five-year exemption from the smoking ban. To be exempted from this state ban, bars had to possess the following characteristics:
- Under 2,000 square feet
- Do not grant entrance to guests under the age of 21
- Makes less or equal to 25% of their revenue from food products
This exemption expired on January 1, 2016.
What Will Happen Next?
Because Attorney Steward filed a lawsuit against the city, The Trophy Room can permit indoor smoking until January 11. On that day, a full hearing regarding the case will take place. The lawsuit pursues a ruling stating the city ordinance to ban smoking in The Trophy Room is unconstitutional and invalid.
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