SC senator backs down, education bill vote may be next week

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina senator threatened with a vote to toss out almost 200 of his amendments to a bill overhauling public education said Thursday he was removing about half of them.

The move by Sen. Mike Fanning appeared to remove the final roadblock to getting a vote on the bill, with Senate leaders saying that could happen as early as Tuesday after nearly eight weeks of discussion.

Fanning said he made the gesture in hopes he could continue to work to make the bill better.

“I look forward to working with each of you as we do that," the Democrat from Great Falls said.

The Senate has been debating the education bill since placing in a special slot on the session's first day, which prevented almost all other legislation from being discussed.

Fanning has already been a part of dozens of amendments, many of them voted down. He said teachers don't want the bill passed unless it is changed.

Many Republicans and supporters of the bill have become increasingly frustrated with Fanning, On the third try, they won a motion to limit debate, and on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey threatened to use a rule for the first time that allows senators to remove amendments if they are only meant to delay a vote.

The Senate still has a number of amendments and continued to debate the ones that weren't heavily contested for about two hours after Fanning's announcement Thursday.

Debate is limited to 20 minutes on each amendment and there are dozens more to go. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said he would like to get the whole bill up for a vote Tuesday, but it might take a little more time.

“Hopefully this conversation is going to speed things up," the Republican from Edgefield said.

Senators have been working on the bill for a year.

The House...