Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux released a statement Thursday afternoon following the May 23, passing of Ordinance 46 of 2023 which amended the Smokefree Air Act. He said he would not be vetoing or signing the ordinance, instead opting to allow it to pass into law without his signature.

On May 9, Councilmembers Tabitha Taylor and Gary Brooks introduced an ordinance that would amend the Smokefree Air Act. The amendment would rewrite the ordinance to allow smoking in casinos and would make Shreveport the first municipality in Louisiana to withdraw smoke-free workplace protections.

According to the Mayor’s office, the amended ordinance permits smoking in the gaming portion of Shreveport casinos except for 25% of the gaming area. The decision to enact this ordinance is a legislative choice and was susceptible to a mayoral veto.