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The smoking ban bill, H2, cleared the Senate Health Committee this morning. (Background.)

Now that film industry concerns are addressed, the bill is rolling to a vote in the Senate. It has been to a state close to its original form, eliminating most of the loopholes the House put in during its consideration.

Rep. Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat and the bill's primary sponsor, got the committee hearing started by explaining his bill to the senators.

“This bill is not about personal property or business rights,” said Rep. Hugh Holliman, a Davidson County Democrat. “It’s about the right of all North Carolinians to breathe clean air.”

Click here to listen. Much of Holliman's talk will sound familiar to those of you have been following the bill.

Later in the hearing, Lorillard lobbyist and lawyer Michael Shannon was at the hearing to try to convince the honorables to reject the ban.

“The bill before us right now is one of the most restrictive in the country,” said Michael Shannon, a lawyer and lobbyist for Lorillard, a cigarette maker based in Greensboro. “It’s on par with New York City and California.”

Click here to listen. Shannon did have an interesting point. Senators delayed work on the bill so that a concern of the film industry could be addressed:

"Last week in the paper I was shocked by a comment that says we need to postpone hearing this bill because the film industry had an issue and the film industry is very important to the North Carolina economy. I found that as an interesting comment. I think all industry is important to our state, but I do believe North Carolina still has a strong, vibrant tobacco industry. I guess it reminded me of the Mark Twain vote that the reports of our death are greatly exaggerated. Tobacco manufacture alone is a $23.9 billion dollar value-added to the state of North Carolina.

There were a couple of attempts to add back in loopholes that the committee substitute bill took out. Sen. Jim Jacumin made one of those attempts. He would have added back the Cole amendment, which let businesses opt out of the ban if they didn't employ anyone under 18-years-old and didn't serve anyone under 18.

Click here to listen to Jacumin state his objections to the bill - including the immortal phrase "the solution to pollution is dilution" - offer his amendment and hear that amendment rejected.

The bill next goes to the Senate. Should it pass there, H2 would return to the House for a concurrence vote.