A House-Senate conference committee was expected to meet Wednesday morning to work out a compromise on a statewide smoking ban, but the meeting was postponed for the third time since April 1.

Committee members said the latest postponement was due to questions regarding how the ban would be enforced.

The conference committee is expected to tackle the smoking ban next week so that debate on the state budget can begin.

The committee was formed because the House and Senate passed different versions of the smoking ban last year. Members have been working for months to draft a version of the bill that can pass both the House and Senate.

Committee members have said they're heading toward drafting a bill which bans smoking in most public places. There may be exceptions for private clubs, casinos, and bars.

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