By Jonathan Smith, Managing Editor

After almost three hours of public discussion, the City Council unanimously voted Thursday to table indefinitely a proposed smoking ban for further analysis and discussion.

The proposition would have banned smoking in most indoor public places and would have been among the strictest in Texas. Business owners, doctors, children, smokers and nonsmokers alike turned out to voice their opinion.

Before Abilene Mayor Grady Barr opened public discussion, he asked the approximately 250 people in attendance whether they supported the ban. More than half were not.

“If we’ve got the right to own our own business, we have the right to decide whether we want smoking,” said Homer Winkles, bar owner and one of the first speakers in the discussion.

Many attending the meeting did support the ordinance. Brianna Goodlow, student at McMurry University, said she supported the ban, having had to work in a restaurant that allowed smoking in order to pay for school.

After a short executive session before voting, Council members made personal statements about the proposed ordinance. While most said they were not opposed to some sort of ban, they were all in favor of tabling it.