AGOURA HILLS : Officials of 4 Cities Criticize Prop. 188

Elected officials from four cities gathered Tuesday to denounce Proposition 188, a November ballot measure that would override local ordinances banning smoking in public places.

“The proponents of Proposition 188, in our opinion, have been tap-dancing around the truth,” said Fran Pavley, a City Council member from Agoura Hills, which hosted the news conference.

Pavley was joined by officials from Calabasas, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village. Also on hand was Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Brentwood), who spearheaded a state law to take effect in January that bans smoking in all enclosed places of employment.

All the cities represented at the news conference have ordinances prohibiting smoking in public places such as restaurants. The ballot measure is undemocratic, the officials said, in that it would void locally approved ordinances.

“We in Westlake Village see it as a grass-roots issue,” Westlake Village Mayor Doug Yarrow said. “We had residents who came to us and asked us to consider putting this ordinance into effect.”

Proposition 188, sponsored by Philip Morris Inc., would override all anti-smoking laws that have been set up by local communities. Under the measure, smoking in public would be allowed in enclosed, designated areas, as long as certain ventilation standards were met. Restaurants would still have to provide nonsmoking sections.

The drafters of Proposition 188 argue that the law would protect nonsmokers, while making sure that government does not interfere with personal liberties. And some opponents of smoking ordinances argue that the ordinances could hurt business at restaurants.

Friedman and the others denounced the pro-Proposition 188 campaign as an attempt to hide the truth, which, they said, is that secondhand smoke kills.

“Proposition 188 is dangerous to the health of Californians,” Friedman said.