(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Perhaps it’s a sign.

An Indiana House committee was hearing testimony on a new statewide smoking ban proposal Wednesday when fire alarms at the Indiana Statehouse began going off.

It turned out to be a false alarm, but anti-smoking advocates say lawmakers can no longer ignore the need for a statewide smoking ban.

Rep. Charlie Brown (D-Gary) has proposed House Bill 1018 which seeks to ban smoking in most public places.

Brown has proposed similar anti-smoking legislation the past two years, but it failed to win enough support each time in the Senate.

The House Health Committee plans to revise the proposal to make casinos exempt from the ban before bringing it for a vote.

A study by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency shows Indiana could suffer losses of $200 million each year if gambles aren’t allowed to smoke.