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Article: Judge pledges quick ruling on St. Paul smoking ban; Sixteen bar owners argued in Ramsey County Court that their businesses will be irreparably harmed if the ban goes into effect. The city countered it has full authority to legislate against smoking.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- March 24, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Jackie Crosby; Staff Writer
When the city of St. Paul merged its health department with Ramsey County in 1996, it "bargained away its authority to regulate smoking" in the city, an attorney representing 16 St. Paul business owners argued in court Thursday.
Attorney Patrick O'Neill is seeking a temporary injunction to halt a smoking ban from taking effect in St. Paul on March 31. Ramsey County Judge David Higgs said he would rule "very promptly."
St. Paul Assistant City Attorney Meghan Riley argued that the role of the St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health Department is to deliver services, and that the health departments' merger "did ...