Smoking bans should originate from either market demands or voter mandate. We have already seen many restaurants ban smoking as a result of market demands; I would assume this trend would have only continued. Which begs the question: Why, if we are already seeing a trend toward a smoke-free Michigan, does the Legislature need to mandate a smoking ban?

What should have GOP legislators done? They should have voted no while campaigning in their local districts for more smoke-free establishments. They could have campaigned for a voter referendum.

State law dictates that property tax changes must be put before the voters (well, with the exception of that pesky 'grandfathered' 1929 law that Washtenaw County recently used to raise taxes without a popular vote. But I digress...) Similarly, any movement that seeks to infringe on property owners' rights should be put to the voters, preferably on a local level.