Rep. Brown's face lights up: Senate panel approves smoking ban

INDIANAPOLIS | For the first time, an Indiana Senate committee Wednesday agreed to send a House-approved statewide indoor smoking ban to the full Senate.

The Senate Public Policy Committee voted 8-2 for House Bill 1149, which bans smoking in all indoor public spaces except gaming facilities, cigar and hookah bars, smoke shops, private clubs with the consent of members and cigar manufacturers.

The committee changed the effective date of the legislation to July 1 from "upon passage." Bars and taverns would get 18 more months to go smoke-free under the legislation.

State Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, who has won House approval of a smoking ban five prior times only to see each proposal die in a Senate committee, said he was "elated" and "overwhelmed" it passed.

"This is the first time in history that this issue has been on the floor of the Senate," Brown said. "This a marvelous day. We've taken another step."

Several committee members said they expect senators will try to amend additional exemptions into the legislation when it's debated next week.

Brown said he hopes that doesn't happen but more important is getting the 26 votes needed in the Senate to send the legislation to a conference committee, where lawmakers from both chambers will decide the final language of the bill.