In St. Joseph, Missouri, Councilman PJ Kovac’s proposed ordinance banning smoking inside the St. Jo Frontier Casino passed the first reading. He said the ordinance is necessary to make sure casino patrons wear masks. It reads: “Operators of indoor spaces inside in which face coverings must be worn shall prohibit smoking and the use of vapor products in those spaces.”
Kovac previously voted against the mayor’s mask mandate. Now, he said, “Originally after I directed the city staff to draw up the ordinance, the casino did non-smoking on their own. I pulled it because I thought they were going to go along with it, but then I put it back on the agenda after they went back to smoking.” Kovac said the casino allows smoking in some indoor areas.
The city council approved the most recent mask mandate on September 8. It does not allow smoking as an exception to wearing a mask inside the casino.
