A measure that would have banned most indoor smoking in New Hampshire sailed through the state House but was defeated 12-11 in the Senate, the New York Times reported April 7.

Opponents of the measure said that business owners should be allowed to decide if they want their premises to be smoke-free. Gov. John Lynch was poised to sign the bill if it had passed the Senate.

Sen. Carl Johnson (R-Meredith), who voted against the bill, said the debate over the measure was particularly sharp. "I'm surprised that a lot of the 'Live Free or Diers' who usually confront us with statements like 'stay out of our life' or 'we don't need more legislation' were the ones asking us to ban smoking," he said.

Backers plan to reintroduce the measure next year. The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, which includes many restaurants, said 80 percent of its members support a smoking ban.