WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2004
SMOKING BAN
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Registered voters needed for petition
By Amanda O'Toole
aotoole@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A weathered clipboard sat behind the bar among beer glasses and alcohol bottles at the smokeless Red Lyon Tavern, 944 Massachusetts St.
The clipboard held about 10 smoking-ban petition papers, each with 20 spaces for signatures. Six and a half of those were full.
Hidden away under the signatures and empty pages were about 10 voter registration forms, which Dan Winsky, Red Lyon manager, said were just as important as the signatures the petition held.
In order for a person to count toward the signature total, they must be registered to vote in Douglas County.
The Appeal for Reason and Tolerance coalition has found itself recruiting voters while trying to obtain the 3,764 signatures necessary to turn the smoking ban into a referendum on November's ballot.
Winsky estimated that he had registered close to 100 people to vote since the coalition began the petition June 8, 80 of those being University students.
Kelley Sanchez, Topeka junior, registered to vote in Douglas County June 8 at the kick-off rally. Now she carries petition and voter registration forms whenever she goes out. Sanchez said the petition should be up to the town.
She said she understood that the ban could be upheld even if it did become a referendum, and that was another reason why students should register to vote.
"Why not? We have the ability to kind of put in our own say in things," Sanchez said.
Marni Penrod, deputy county clerk, said she noticed an increase in registered voters, but that an increase was typical in an election year.
Sanchez said she would also carry petitions and registration forms on campus in the fall.
Penrod said she also recognized that people spearheading the smoking-ban petition brought in registration forms on a regular basis.
"If it makes people register, it's super," she said.
Winsky said the fact that people were registering to vote in the first place was a plus.
"I think it's wonderful," he said. "We got to get 'em voting whether they love us or hate us."
Winsky said the city of Lawrence's right to decide whether or not to have the ban was more important than the ban itself.
"Five people in Lawrence can't be making all the decisions," he said.
Coalition members manned tables once a week, usually Thursday nights, outside of area bars to collect signatures, Winsky said.
He said members would be at either
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
Adam Pousson, Red Lyon customer, and Dan Winsky, Red Lyon manager, are two of the people who have signed the bar's smoking ban petition, which now has about 800 signatures. "I think the citizens of Lawrence should be able to vote on what happens in their own town," Pousson said.
REGISTRATION LOCALES
Petitions and voter registration forms are available throughout Lawrence.
Free State Brewery, 636 Massachusetts St.
Henry's, 11 E. Eighth St.
Red Lyon Tavern, 944 Massachusetts St.
Johnny's Tavern, 401 N. Second St.
MIKO, 13 E. Eighth St
Hereford House, 4931 W. Sixth St.
The Sandbar, 17 E. Eighth St.
Jack Pot Saloon, 943 Massachusetts St.
Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St.
Kaspar's Pub, 3115 W. Sixth St.
You can also register to vote online at www.douglas-county.com/Clerk, or at the Douglas County Clerk's office, 1100 Massachusetts St.
Creation Station, 726 Massachusetts St.
Source: www.artlawrence.org and Douglas County Clerk's office
Louise's Bar Downtown, 1009 Massachusetts St., Rick's Neighborhood Bar and Grill, 623 Vermont, Red Lyon Tavern or The Sandbar, 17 E. Eight St. from about 6:30 p.m. until midnight.
Edited by Julie Jones
804 Massachusetts St. · Downtown Lawrence · (785) 843-5000 www.sunfloweroutdoorbike.com
Unclaimed Freight & Damaged Merchandise·936 Mass.