MADISON, Wis. -- Madison's citywide smoking ban is just about a month and a half away, but an amendment is being considered to make cigar bars exempt.

Alderman Mike Verveer is proposing that two businesses be grandfathered into the exemption -- Maduro on East Main Street and Madison's Wine and Cigar Room on Watts Road.

No future cigar rooms will be exempt from a smoking ban.

"We do need to take into consideration these businesses that are scared to death that they might go out of business in a couple months' time," Verveer said.

Verveer said there is precedent for such a move in New York City where, he says, eight cigar bars are exempt from the citywide smoking ban.