NEW YORK (AP) _ The Bloomberg administration and the City Council remained deadlocked Wednesday over the mayor's proposal to ban smoking in all restaurants and bars.

City Council Speaker Gifford Miller has not yet taken a public position on the proposal, while other council members reportedly would like certain establishments, such as cigar bars, to be exempt from the restrictions. The New York Times and Daily News reported in their Thursday editions that the City Council might seek the mayor's backing for a living-wage proposal in exchange for its promise to support the anti-smoking legislation. The City Council is seeking minimum wage requirements for home health aides, day care workers and some workers who care for people with cerebral palsy. Edward Skyler, a spokesman for the mayor, said that Bloomberg had not yet decided whether to sign the living-wage bill. The City Council has scheduled a second hearing on the anti-smoking legislation for Friday. The current law prohibits smoking in restaurants with more than 35 seats, but there is no restriction against smoking in stand-alone bars or the bar area of restaurants. Bloomberg's proposal would cover about 13,000 establishments.

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