COLUMBIA - A bill banning casino boats was filed in the House on Thursday by state Rep. Vida Miller, D-Pawleys Island, but she said she isn't sure if it will have any better fate than previous casino boat bills.

After the first casino boat came to Murrells Inlet in November 1998, the House moved quickly the next January to pass a bill banning them. It stalled in the Senate because of opposition from Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston.

McConnell, the Senate's leader, carries weight. He said he did not want to pass something that could interfere with the cruise ships that call on Charleston because most of them contain gambling rooms.

The House has passed the bill twice again since then, and McConnell has continued to stymie it. He said local governments can ban the casino boats.

But that is the problem now. A circuit court ruled in a lawsuit against Georgetown County that local governments do not have the power to ban casino boats. Only the state can do that. The county is appealing the ruling to the state Supreme Court, but in the meantime the House can try to do whatever it can, Miller said.

The only casino boats currently operating are in Little River, where the first one moved after the shoals in Murrells Inlet proved too treacherous. The inlet has been dredged since then, and at least one operator wants to dock there. He sued the county because of its ban.

The city of Georgetown also passed a ban on the boats years ago, and another operator has said he is interested in docking in the city.

Miller said she hopes to meet with McConnell soon and try to find something that he will agree to.

Her bill has several co-sponsors, including Carl Anderson, D-Georgetown, and Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach.

"We're just trying to show good faith to the county that we're doing all we can do at the state level," Miller said. "Georgetown County has done everything it can do."

The state Supreme Court has not decided if it will hear the appeal of the county's case, and if it does, it could be another year before there is a resolution.

"We're just trying to keep this issue out there, for people to realize it has not been resolved, it has not gone away," Miller said.

Neither Murrells Inlet nor downtown Georgetown is a suitable location for gambling cruises, and the residents oppose them, Miller said.

South Carolina must allow the boats under federal law unless it specifically bans them.

DOT chief | When Department of Transportation Director Betty Mabry got a resignation demand from her commission chairman, legislators jumped to her defense.

Commission Chairman Tee Hooper asked her to resign because there was a morale and spending problem in the agency she has headed for eight years.

Mabry, who has played a pivotal role in the development of Interstate 73, as well as other Horry County road projects, denied Hooper's charges. Gov. Mark Sanford stood behind the remarks of Hooper, his only appointee to the commission. The other commissioners did not join Hooper's demand.

In the Senate, 39 of the 46 members signed on to a resolution of support for Mabry after Sen. Verne Smith, R-Greer, took the floor in her defense. All local senators signed.

House members circulated a petition supporting Mabry that was signed by most of the members.

Miller was one who said she doesn't understand Hooper's attack. "Betty has her own mind; she's a smart woman. She does what's right and she does it in the best interest of South Carolina," Miller said.

Road funding | Sen. Ray Cleary, R-Murrells Inlet, introduced a bill that establishes a road-improvement fund from any surplus money the state gathers. The money would go into the fund after any other funds that have been borrowed from have been paid back.

The state has not had a surplus in several years and has borrowed from most of its trust funds to ease the budget crunch. The budget currently under discussion repays most of that borrowed money.

Golf course relief | A bill introduced by McConnell would give golf course owners some of the relief they have sought from property tax, especially reassessement. Many owners say their fair market value is unfairly figured to include income from pro shop sales and cart rentals.

McConnell's bill says personal property and income earned from it cannot be included in the fair market value computations for golf courses.

Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach, and Sen. Yancey McGill, D-Kingstree, signed on as co-sponsors.

Appointments | Wilson Cain, a former member of Myrtle Beach City Council, was appointed to the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Redevelopment Commission on Thursday, and Philip Stalvey was reappointed to the board.

The governor nominated the two, and they were confirmed by the Senate. The board has overseen the redevelopment of the property since the base closed in 1993.

Next week | Free-pour legislation hearings continue at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Room 105 of the Gressette Senate Office Building.