COLUMBIA -- State Sen. Scott Richardson drew high praise from Democrats on Monday night when he proposed an amendment that would fund K-12 education at about $2,092 per student, around $400 higher than the House-proposed budget.

"In Beaufort County we can raise property taxes," the Hilton Head Island Republican said of his home district. "But I want to know what is going to happen in Williamsburg, Jasper, Clarendon counties. It's just going to put those counties in a ditch."

The Senate narrowly voted to table the measure.

Richardson also proposed a measure to devote $15 million to improve English for Speakers of Other Languages programs in public schools.

"Imagine how scary it would be to be five or six years old in a new country, and your mother has just left you, and the teacher is speaking, and you have no idea what she's saying," Richardson said. "This is a serious issue in Beaufort County and Horry County."

But the English for Speakers of Other Languages funding measure failed on a voice vote. Democrats spoke in favor of Richardson's per pupil education spending amendment and Republicans spoke out against it before voting to table the measure. The vote to table was 24-22.

Sen. Maggie Glover, D-Florence, was among the Democrats who spoke out to support Richardson.

"Let me congratulate you for being the first person on that side of the aisle to come out in support of this," Glover said.

Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins, and several other Democrats asked to have their names added to Richardson's education funding amendment

In arguing against Richardson's proposal, Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, warned senators that committing more money to education in the absence of additional revenue-raising measures would deplete the property tax relief fund.

Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, said funding Richardson's proposal would mean other state agencies would have to be cut an additional 8 percent.

Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, also chastised Richardson.

"To come up here and propose a $210 million to fund the Education Finance Act is unbelievable," Leatherman said.

Last week, Richardson twice proposed a penny sales tax increase to help fund education. But his measures were discarded on procedural grounds.

Richardson said he is committed to voting for the cigarette tax and to finding additional money for education.