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Committee advances bill to allow a one-time cigar convention exemption at St. Louis convention center
Summary
The Transportation and Commerce Committee voted 4–1 to give Board Bill 167 a due-pass recommendation, a narrowly written amendment that would allow a specified cigar trade show to permit indoor smoking at the convention center; proponents cited multimillion-dollar economic impact and venue filtration plans, while the chair voiced public-health concerns.
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen Transportation and Commerce Committee voted 4–1 to advance Board Bill 167, a narrowly drawn amendment to create an exemption allowing certain convention events at the St. Louis convention center to permit indoor smoking under specified circumstances.
Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the change is intended to allow a single, limited cigar trade show to take place in the city. "This convention is only able to be hosted in a few cities due to some regulations that other cities have," Alderman Aldridge said, describing the proposal as a way to bring an event he said would benefit the city economically.
Why it matters: supporters argued the Premium Cigar Association trade show would bring thousands of attendees and millions in spending to the downtown economy, and that the exemption is narrowly tailored to one event rather than a general rollback of the City’s Smoke-Free Air Act.
Brad Dean, who identified himself as…
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