The Kansas City Council thought it knew best last January when it passed a weak smoke-free law that covered a limited number of bars and restaurants.

But voters thought differently. In April, they approved a tougher law proposed through an initiative petition by health-advocacy groups.

Finally, after years of debate, the city has a law that protects people from harmful smoke in public places, including all bars and restaurants.

However, politicians are looking at ways to change what voters approved just five months ago. This matter, scheduled for discussion today at City Hall, does not deserve a rushed verdict. The proposed changes would:

 Allow smoking in tobacco shops.

 Modify where smoking is permitted on casinos.

Tobacco shop operators have complained to City Hall that the ban has harmed their businesses. They point out that some cities, including New York, exempt tobacco shops from smoke-free ordinances. But bans in states such as Washington do not.

In the April vote, Kansas Citians knew the proposed ordinance was one of the nation’s strongest. Based on that election, the council should not create a new exemption for tobacco shops.

The proposed casino modification is another matter. The current law allows smoking on “the paths of ingress and egress immediately adjacent to and contiguous with the excursion gambling boat.” So people have been lighting up in hallways outside gambling floors.

During the smoke-free campaign, however, voters were constantly told that the law would confine smoking to the gambling floors. The proposed restriction could better achieve that result. It says people could smoke in an area “within which gaming is allowed,” but not in hallways.

That change would appear to be more in line with the voter sentiment expressed last April.