HARRISBURG -- A six-member House-Senate conference committee needs more time to work out an acceptable bill to ban smoking in work places and public places in Pennsylvania, and will not complete its work by tomorrow.

The committee, chaired by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, had been set to meet here tomorrow morning and draft smoking-ban legislation, which then would need approval of the full House and Senate.

But Mr. Greenleaf announced late this afternoon that the meeting won't be held "for a short period,'' meaning, probably, a few more days.

Mr. Greenleaf, a staunch foe of smoking in work places, said he remains optimistic there will be legislation coming out of the committee.

"I look forward to a full public discussion in the very near future on Pennsylvania's smoke-free legislation,'' he said in a statement. He said workers in bars and casinos, as well as nonsmoking patrons, deserve to be protected from the health hazards from second-hand smoke.

He and Rep. Michael Gerber, D-Montgomery, favor a bill with no, or very few, exceptions where smoking would be permitted.

But the other four panel members are more willing to allow smoking in at least a percentage of the gambling floors in casinos, along with smaller bars, private fraternal clubs and cigar bars. They think the Legislature would be going too far by dictating to business people how to run their businesses.

Another major issue is whether to permit towns, municipalities and counties to enact their own smoke-free laws that are more restrictive than the new state law. This provision, called "local option,'' is also causing disagreements on the panel.