Some local tavern owners disagree with a report claiming smoking bans don't hurt business.

The report was released Tuesday by Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group, which supports a bill that would ban smoking in public workplaces in Wisconsin. The Assembly Public Health Committee is holding a public hearing on the bill today.

"The findings were that the economic impacts are either neutral or positive in communities that have adopted these policies," said Bruce Speight, public interest advocate for WISPIRG. "The report shows that we can have smoke-free bars and a healthy economy."

According to the report, both requests for liquor licenses in Madison and Appleton and the average assessed value of their business districts have increased since those communities adopted smoking bans for bars and restaurants.

In addition, the report states that the studies that have concluded that smoking bans are bad for the economy have been backed by the tobacco industry.

"These tales of economic ruin just don't hold water; the evidence is just not there to back that up," Speight said.

But local tavern owners said such a law would hurt their business. Chuck Brandt, owner of Buckets Pub, 2031 Lathrop Ave., said he would expect to see business drop by 25 to 35 percent at first, maybe gaining 10 to 15 percent of that back over time.

"It's going to show an impact on us, no doubt about it," Brandt said. "I know from personal experience that smoking bans do not help."

Brandt said he noticed that he was getting new customers right away after Kenosha banned smoking in restaurants in 2000. Now, he said, about 5 to 10 percent of his business comes from Kenosha.

Kelly Vecits, owner of Kelly's Bleachers II, 7805 Loomis Road in Wind Lake, said he would rather see a statewide ban instead of more city ordinances where customers can take their business to nearby places without smoking bans.

He said he thinks the statewide ban would have the biggest affect on smaller bars, where smokers are the core of the business.

"You got these people who put their lives into these establishments," Vecits said. "That's the stuff that really goes down and hurts us."

But for other owners, there are some benefits to the proposed bill. Mike Carmody, owner of Shillings Irish Pub, 611 Wisconsin Ave., said as a nonsmoker he would appreciate it if his clothes did not stink after working.

The pub's customers are about half smokers and half nonsmokers, he said, and he had been considering going nonsmoking but wasn't sure how much it would hurt his business. People would simply need to adjust to the statewide ban, he said.

"I am expecting a slowdown in business, like it's happened everywhere," Carmody said. "But people just get used to it."