COLUMBIA, S.C. - A Columbia lawmaker has proposed a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants.

"I'm one of those nonsmokers who goes out to eat a lot and just gets sick of people smoking everywhere," said Rep. Todd Rutherford. "It affects your clothes. You stink when you leave. You can't enjoy your meal."

The Democrat, who has bipartisan support, said he intentionally excluded bars from the legislation.

"I think we need to take a step-by-step approach and not try to do too much at one time," he said.

The bill has been referred to the House judiciary committee.

Restaurant owners and the tobacco trade association said the decision should be left to individual business owners.

"They walk a fine line between satisfying their smoking guests and their nonsmoking guests," said Tom Sponseller, president of the Hospitality Association of South Carolina.

Meanwhile, it is not entirely clear whether state law currently allows any city to pass a smoking ban, said Howard Duvall, executive director of the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

The state's Clean Indoor Air act bans smoking in schools, hospitals, buses and other areas. The attorney general has ruled that the House bill would pre-empt any local effort to pass stricter anti-smoking regulations, Duvall said. But he added that recent Supreme Court rulings leave that interpretation in doubt.