Gov. Mark Sanford's tuition tax credit school choice plan, called "Put Parents In Charge", appears to be dead for the year in a House committee. It lost support after a report from the state Board of Economic Advisors that the plan would cost the state more than $600 million in its first five years.

The House Ways and Means committee was expected to debate the bill Tuesday, but postponed it after receiving the report.

"We use terms like, 'It created a buzz'," says Rep. Jim McGee, R-Florence, a member of the committee and a co-sponsor of the bill. "Well, this is like somebody took a stick and wacked a beehive, and the bees are just floating out there. The committee is really, in my opinion, in disarray after this very large price tag that appeared on this PPIC."

He says he wouldn't vote for the governor's plan as it stands, even though he's one of the co-sponsors. Neither will fellow co-sponsor Rep. Shirley Hinson, R-Goose Creek. "It has to be amended. I don't think it would stand a chance of getting out of committee without some amendments," she says.

There are 25 members of the Ways and Means committee. News Channel 7 polled all 25 and found that 20 say they wouldn't vote for the governor's plan right now.

Some of them say they would vote for an amended version, but even that doesn't appear to have the votes to come out of committee. Twelve of the 25 members say they would vote for the bill or an amended version, short of the 13 needed to pass and go to the floor of the House.

Rep. McGee is sponsoring one of the amendments that's getting support. Instead of being open to the entire state, his amendment would be open only to parents of children in failing schools. Instead of getting a tax credit, they would get outright vouchers of about $3,200 to send their children to a private school, or they could send them to another district.

A spokesman for Gov. Sanford says the governor isn't giving up, despite the apparent lack of support for his bill.

"At the end of the day you can either be loyal to the process or you can be loyal to the outcome of better educated kids. Everywhere it's been tried, school choice has not only provided opportunities for the kids who took advantage of it, but just as importantly it's improved achievement at public schools. We're obviously early in the legislative process, but the governor is going to continue to push for as many additional choices for as many parents as he possibly can," says Will Folks, the governor's spokesman.

The House Ways and Means committee expects to debate the bill next week, including its amendments.