DES MOINES - Say goodbye to smoke-filled taverns, along with just about all other smoky public places in Iowa.

That's because Gov. Chet Culver signed a near-total ban on public smoking Tuesday, a law that takes effect on July 1.

"The bottom line is that this bill will save lives, plain and simple," he said at a jam-packed signing ceremony.

The ban will be most noticeable in bars and restaurants, but it covers nearly every workplace. The main exceptions are for the gaming floors of the 17 state-licensed casinos and for the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.

The signing, which follows months of debate in the Legislature, gave lawmakers one more chance to praise or condemn the ban.

"It's a good day for Iowa, because in the long run we'll be healthier," said Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo.

His Cedar Valley colleague, Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, was one of the few Democrats who opposed the bill. He thinks bars should have had an exception.

"I was very disappointed that we didn't go back to a conference committee and fix the things we knew were wrong with the bill," Dotzler said.

Dotzler's mother owns Waterloo's Embassy Lounge and his sister manages it, but he said his final opposition was based on those unresolved questions and not family considerations. He said his mother supports the ban but his sister opposes it.

Rep. Mark Kuhn, D-Charles City, also voted for the bill.

"We're very pleased that we're going to provide the opportunity for Iowans to breathe smoke-free air. That's a very good thing," he said.

Iowa joins 22 states that ban smoking in most work places.

Looking at those other states, Iowa officials expect the ban to reduce cigarette sales by about 4 percent, which would cost retailers $31 million per year, and cost the state roughly $9 million in lost cigarette taxes.

Many Iowa bar owners fought the ban, which they said would drive them out of business.

"It's going to be devastating. Everybody's worried," said Joe Sturgis, owner of the Rusty Nail in Davenport.

Despite those fears, Creighton University economist Ernie Goss doesn't expect a major shift for bars. He said the greatest changes would typically be along state borders, but not in this case because nearly all of Iowa's neighbors have similar laws.

Goss is perplexed by the casino-floor exception, which he thinks will be difficult to enforce. "I didn't know they were concocting such crazy laws," he said.

Critics of the bill have focused their scorn on the casino exception, which they say is the result of close ties between the gaming industry and legislative Democrats. "I think the smoking bill was the best darn piece of legislation that casino money could buy," said Rep. Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton.

Many Democrats share concerns about the exception. And yet, party leaders said the bill wouldn't have had enough support to pass without

the provision. The Senate originally supported a total ban, while the House wanted several exceptions. The final measure was a mix of the two approaches.

"This is a very strong bill," said Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.

Contact Dan Gearino at (515) 243-0138 and dan.gearino@lee.net.