A Senate committee Monday defeated a bill that would have allowed cities and towns to ban smoking in all public places. Currently it's against state law for municipalities to pass smoking laws that are more stringent than state law. Woodward Republican Bryce Marlatt voted against the bill. "Whether it's the federal government telling me what I can do on my private property or whether it's the city council telling me what I can do on my private property, it's still Big Brother telling me what I can do on my private property," he said. But Okmulgee Senator Roger Ballenger was hoping the bill would advance. "I'd encourage you to keep this effort alive because we desperately don't want to continue being 49th or 50th in health outcomes or any of these other issues that could deter people from wanting to come and live in Oklahoma and stay there," he said. The bill failed by a vote of 6 to 2 against the proposal.