Voters in Tumwater were wise - and decisive - in their vote to uphold the city ban on personal use of fireworks during the Fourth of July holidays.
More than 60 percent of voters in Tuesday's special election opposed Initiative 1, which sought to repeal a City Council-approved ban. The ban took effect in December and followed the citywide advisory vote in 2016 that was decided by just 78 votes.
Besides erasing several city restrictions on fireworks sales, the repeal would have taken away the fire chief’s discretion to unilaterally ban fireworks during extreme, dangerous weather conditions. It was backed financially by the fireworks industry.
Vote tallies last week showed more than 63 percent voting against Initiative 1, marking a clear victory for public safety.