DES MOINES - Iowa Gov. Chet Culver likely will sign a statewide smoking ban into law on Tuesday, spokesman Brad Anderson said.

The governor's office is expecting a large crowd for the formal signing ceremony, which tentatively will be held in the Statehouse Rotunda.

"It's going to be a big day," Anderson said.

Both chambers of the Iowa Legislature moved quickly Tuesday to approve a statewide public smoking ban with exemptions for casino gaming floors and the Iowa Veterans Home. The vote ended months of struggle between the chambers to land on a compromise, which ultimately was reached by a conference committee appointed to hammer out differences.

When Culver ran for governor in 2006, he said he preferred letting local governments set their own smoking restrictions. But Iowa lawmakers, spurred in part by a national move to stamp out smoking in public places, went further than local control by approving the statewide ban this week.

The ban includes restaurants, bars, workplaces and most other public spaces and will go into effect July 1.

Contact Charlotte Eby at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.