SPRINGFIELD, IL ?" Two bills were approved last week by Illinois?? House Executive Committee, both of which seek to ease the state??s indoor smoking restrictions, the Huffington Post reports. The bills now head to the full House for consideration.

The first bill would allow smoking in Illinois casinos, a measure that the state??s gambling lobby firmly supports.

"Since the ban went into effect [2008], casino revenues are down over 31 percent," said Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. "It is very clear the majority of the drop was because of the smoking ban."

The second bill would allow bars, strip clubs and other establishments to apply for smoking licenses. For a fee, they could allow smoking, provided they installed approved filtration systems. "It's about local control," said Representative Anthony DeLuca, the bill's sponsor. "Let the business owner decide whether this is a benefit to their operation."

Kathy Drea, vice president of advocacy for the American Lung Association of Illinois, came out strongly against both proposals. "Smoking licenses, we call those licenses to kill ?? Any money made from a smoking license would not cover the eventual medical expenses."