INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana House voted Wednesday to ban nearly all indoor smoking throughout the state, but the measure must still leap several hurdles before Hoosier smokers will have to put out their cigarettes.

State Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, won House approval by voice vote to add the smoking ban to Senate Bill 175. Under his proposal, only gaming facilities would be excluded from the statewide smoking ban.

"Everyone in here has to know about the dreaded disease of secondhand smoke. Everyone in here is fully aware that we are way behind the curve in dealing with this issue," Brown said addressing lawmakers in the House.

"I am asking you in your wisdom to protect your constituents in every way that you can from the dreaded disease of secondhand smoke," Brown said.

State Rep. David Frizzell, R-Indianapolis, challenged Brown, arguing that local communities should decide whether to allow smoking.

"Both of my parents died from cancer. I hate the habit. It's filthy. It's dangerous. I understand that," Frizzell said. "But I stand on local government should have the control to make that decision, not the state."

However, Brown said local bans are impractical and won't improve health.

"We're putting our constituents in jeopardy when we talk about 'let's do it community-by-community.' Let's be man and woman enough to do it right here," Brown said.

The amendment was approved by a voice vote, so there is no record of which representatives voted which way. However, Senate Bill 175, now including the smoking ban, is scheduled for a final House vote today.

If the measure is approved by the full House, it will go to a House-Senate conference committee where lawmakers will work out the differences in the two separately approved versions of the legislation. The conference committee could still remove the smoking ban, or if it survives, the Senate could vote it down.

A similar smoking ban approved by the House last year never got a final vote in the Senate.