It’s the closest Indiana’s ever been to a smoking ban.

House Bill 1149 passed on an 8-to-2 vote out of the Senate Public Policy Committee late this afternoon. Senators Jim Arnold (D) LaPorte, and Joseph Zakas (R) Granger voted yes.

Under the proposed legislation, gaming facilities, cigar and hookah bars, tobacco stores and private clubs would be exempt.

The state legislature has been trying to pass similar measures since 2007, but none of them made them to the full Senate floor.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are hoping it will actually happen this year. But if a bill passes, it likely won’t be the one the committee approved Wednesday.

“This is not a slam dunk,” said Democratic Sen. Jim Arnold. “There are some strong concerns about this bill and what it's going to impose on business people who own businesses.”

And the owners of Cheers bar in South Bend are concerned about just that – how the proposed law could hurt their business.

“I think it’s a bad idea,” said Cheers Co-Owner Jared Slav. “I think it should be the business owner’s decision whether it’s smoking or non-smoking. I think it’s going to hurt businesses all around.”

Cheers could be especially because a club just across the street falls under one of the current exemptions; the Clay Democratic Club qualifies as a private club and wouldn’t have to be smoke-free.

“I feel like I’ll be spending more time over there,” said Cheers regular Edward Layba.

Sen. Joe Zakas says there’s a slight chance bars and taverns could make it into the exemptions with specific stipulations. But, it's a long shot. Under the current proposal, bars and taverns would have to comply by September 2013.

Zakas says he has no doubt the bill that passed committee Wednesday will be very different if it’s passed by the full Senate.

“The chances are, I think it’s likely there will be some amendments,” he said. “But I think they will be narrowly tailored to be less expansive than you think.”

Legislators say the second reading of the bill will be no later than Tuesday.