HONOLULU -- Hawaii's tough smoking ban went into effect a little more than two months ago, and there's already a proposal to make some restaurants, bars and nightclubs exempt from the new law.

KITV's Keoki Kerr found one bar that's already ignoring the law and allowing patrons to smoke.

Lance Gomes is the owner and bartender at Pigskins Sports Bar along Kapiolani Boulevard.

"I lost anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of my business," Gomes said of the ban that took effect in mid-November.

As of last Friday, Gomes said he would be defying the new law, and he has allowed smoking in his establishment.

"You're allowed to smoke, and you come in -- you can smoke and everything. Because, what it is is we're losing too much of our income," Gomes said.

Bar owners said they've collected about 4,000 signatures against the smoking ban that they plan to present to legislators. Jolyn Tenn is a smoker who is a volunteer with Hawaii Smokers Alliance.

"It is not the government's place to tell adults what to do in adult environments," Tenn said.

The new proposal at the Legislature that would make bars, nightclubs and restaurants exempt from the smoking ban also says that the exempt businesses would have to post warning signs outside their buildings stating that smoking is allowed inside.

State Rep. Colleen Meyer introduced the bill.

"I feel strongly as a Republican that government should not be dictating everything we do, or dictate to businesses what they can and cannot do on their own premises, as long as it's lawful," said Meyer.

Meyer said she was not influenced by Tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds' donation of $1,000 to her campaign.

"Don't expect me as health chair to kill off our constituents; I'd much rather take care of them," Meyer said.

House Health Chairman Josh Green is an emergency room doctor who said he will not give the proposal to weaken the smoking ban a hearing, meaning it will probably not have any significant changes.