by KYW's Tony Romeo

A House-Senate conference committee of the Pennsylvania legislature has again failed to produce a compromise bill that would restrict smoking in public places (see previous story).

After several misfires in recent months, the conference committee charged with forging a compromise smoking ban bill seemed ready to a vote on a measure, then Governor Rendell, at a morning news conference, declared that he’d veto a bill that was either too watered down or contained language that would pre-empt a stronger anti-smoking ordinance in Philadelphia:

“Philadelphia has taken a strong stand to support the public health of its residents and I will not backtrack on that.”

Senate Republican Chuck McIlhinney of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, who’s spearheading the drafting of the bill, says the threat to Philadelphia’s smoking ban is now an issue of concern to Senate Democrats:

“It would have been nicer if the governor had made that ultimatum last week, but that’s the way things happen.”

McIlhinney would not predict when a conference committee vote might be rescheduled.