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Smoking ban dodges bullet in committee 

A bill to ban smoking in restaurants and other public places across Alabama survived a House committee Wednesday by a single vote, moving it closer than ever to becoming law.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, passed the Government Operations Committee unanimously but only after an amendment that Figures said would have "gutted" it failed by a 6 to 7 margin.

The Alabama Restaurant Association opposes the bill, warning that the provisions give bars an unfair advantage over restaurants.

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