COLUMBIA - The House won the race Wednesday to be first to pass a bill declaring Interstate 73 a toll road, but the bill ran into heavy traffic in the Senate.

Last week, members of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance's legislative caucus unanimously endorsed the toll road concept for the first interstate to connect to Horry County. Members said it is important to pass the bill as soon as possible to show Congress the state is serious about building the road, and the House and Senate members challenged each other to a race.

The bill sailed through the House in three days, although it had an amendment added by Rep. Billy Witherspoon, R-Conway, exempting school buses.

But the measure ran into two typical roadblocks in the Senate: a filibuster and an attempt at an unrelated amendment.

On Tuesday, Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, and Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, proposed an amendment to put a toll on I-95 near Orangeburg to help pay for maintenance and improvement of the highway.

At that point, Sen. Grey Ryberg, R-Aiken, asked to postpone debate on the bill.

On Wednesday, the bill was held up by an ongoing filibuster that was brought to a halt by the end of the day.

Also on Wednesday, the House bill on the I-73 toll was received in the Senate and sent to a committee even though the same Senate bill was accepted without having to be referred to a committee.

No one objected when Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer assigned the House bill to the Senate Transportation Committee, possibly delaying it for weeks.

Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, was holding the floor to speak against a bill that gives billboard owners special compensation if cities or counties phase out the signs.

Leventis was shut down late in the day and the bill passed on second of three readings, but members then moved the controversial statewide charter school bill up for debate next.

That bill takes charter school approval away from local school boards and gives it to a special new commission.