A House committee stunned the Capitol Wednesday by endorsing a bill that would ban the sale and use of tobacco products in North Dakota.

Rep. Mike Grosz, R-Grand Forks, was extremely proud after the House Finance and Taxation Committee voted 9-4 in favor of his bill, HB1174. He sponsored the bill and is a member of the committee. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

The American Lung Association, American Heart Association, North Dakota Medical Association and North Dakota Public Health Association all spoke out against a tobacco ban on Tuesday, much to the dismay of some lawmakers on the committee. A spokeswoman for the tobacco control program of the state Health Department spoke along with those against the bill, although another spokeswoman later said the department is taking a neutral stance on the legislation.

Rep. Wes Belter, R-Leonard, chairs the committee and was one of several members who asked pointed questions of the anti-tobacco health groups that came out against the bill. Most of them said they opposed it because there was no scientific evidence that it would work, since North Dakota would be the first state to enact such a ban. They said the state should instead rely on other tobacco cessation strategies that have been proven to work.

He said some members of the committee were "extremely upset by the testimony from the groups who consider themselves to be anti-tobacco."

He said the committee's endorsement of the bill symbolized the frustration they had with the anti-tobacco groups.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do on the floor," he said. "I was just really upset with these groups."

(Reach Deena Winter at 223-8482 or deenawinter@ndonline.com.)