BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — The author of a proposed law to ban smoking in Mississippi says the Legislature isn’t likely to pass his bill.

The comments from Rep. John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, come Wednesday during a public hearing held by the House Gaming Committee in Biloxi. The committee was in Tunica last week and was scheduled in Vicksburg on Thursday.

Mayo has introduced a similar bill each of the last seven years and it never made it out of committee.

Chevis Swetman, president of The Peoples Bank, said a smoking ban has hurt casino business in other states and would cause job losses and a reduction in tax revenue in Mississippi.

Casino executive Marlin Torguson said since Minnesota enacted a smoking ban, business in his restaurant and bar business there dropped 22 percent in one year.