Jump to full article: Columbia (SC) State, 2009-08-26
Author: CLIF LeBLANC
Intro: Opponents of a workplace smoking ban said Tuesday that members of at least five organizations plan to target for defeat the five Lexington County Council members who voted for the ban.
After one of the longest and most divisive smoking-ban fights in South Carolina, County Council gave its ban final approval Tuesday by the slimmest of margins.
As it has most of the times it has voted, council split 5-4 on the ban, which takes effect Jan. 1 for all businesses in unincorporated Lexington County.
The five who voted for the ban are chairman Debbie Summers and council members Bill Banning, John Carrigg, Smokey Davis and Johnny Jeffcoat.
"John Carrigg is my representative, and I will do all I can to be sure he gets defeated the next time," said Paul Seidelson, a member of ABATE. . . .
Along with ABATE, the organizations whose members pledged Tuesday to unseat those voting for the ban were the Lexington County chapter of the 912 Project and a sister group from Northeast Richland, the Campaign for Liberty and Pelion Good Neighbors.
Most are conservative organizations that draw support from former presidential candidate Ron Paul and television commentator Glenn Beck.
Jim Hanks, with one of the 912 Project groups, said some members have compiled maps of council districts and begun canvassing businesses in Banning's district to build opposition to him.
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