COLUMBIA - When South Carolinians vote in November, they might want to bring chairs. They could be there awhile.

Not necessarily in line - but in the voting booth.

At least four constitutional amendment proposals are gaining serious attention this legislative session - meaning that voters, in addition to electing the House of Representatives, the governor and all other statewide officers, could be asked their views on everything from property taxes and eminent domain to restructuring government and capping spending.

To change the constitution, two-thirds of the House and Senate must agree on an amendment, and then a majority of voters must support it.

"Anytime you change the constitution it's, by design, a pretty tough hurdle," said gubernatorial candidate Sen. Tommy Moore, D-Aiken. "And, thankfully, that's the case."

Among the proposals:

PROPERTY TAX: Most, if not all, lawmakers agree that this is the topic of the session. At issue is whether, and how, to help property owners tired of seeing their taxes jump just because they live in a popular, growing area. The Senate proposal, so far, focuses on giving counties more flexibility to decide how and when to reassess property values. Members of the House plan to talk about eliminating most property taxes on owner-occupied homes and increasing the sales tax by 2 cents, but exempting food.

EMINENT DOMAIN : Dozens of states are re-examining their eminent domain laws - which regulate when government can seize property - since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that governments can take private property from one person and give it to another in the name of economic development.

Lawmakers propose amending the state constitution to limit eminent domain seizures to "public use," defining public use as "possession, occupation and enjoyment of the condemned property by the public at large or by public agencies."

"Our present court has ruled, I think, very favorably to the interests of landowners and property owners across the state of South Carolina," Gov. Mark Sanford said last week. Without legal changes, "a future court could change that."

Paul Rideout, of Aiken, said he favored strengthening the state's eminent domain laws. He said he opposed the Supreme Court's ruling in the Connecticut case.

But James Vinson, of Aiken, said he was not sure any changes to South Carolina's eminent domain laws would be effective.

GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURING: If this proposal is approved, one or more currently elected officials would instead be appointed by the governor. Proposals vary, but several would put the superintendent of education in the Cabinet.

In his State of the State address Jan. 18, Mr. Sanford argued the proposed restructuring is about "strengthening their weight in our political process."

Mr. Rideout, of Aiken, who has a child in college, said he supported making the superintendent position into a Cabinet post.

"I think education's a big problem," he said. "I think that might not be a bad idea to do something like that."

TAXPAYER EMPOWERMENT AMENDMENT: The heart of this issue is capping state spending increases at an amount just high enough to account for population increases and cost of living adjustments.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell said Thursday that the current spending cap simply isn't effective because the calculation sets the cap too high.

Mr. Moore, though, wants more details.

"It's always interesting; there's always some catchy buzzword like 'Put Parents in Charge' or 'Taxpayer Empowerment,' but when you start reading the details, sometimes it's not near the pretty-bowed package that you've been told," he said.

Proposals to change the constitution are like other bills in that many go nowhere.

Mr. Moore said he believes there's at least a 50-50 chance that property tax and eminent domain measures will be on the ballot Nov. 7.

One proposed amendment, approved last year, definitely will be there for voters to decide. Proponents say it will ban gay marriage. Opponents say state law already does. And, they add, the proposal's effect reaches far beyond the gay community - enabling, for instance, a hospital to keep a girlfriend from visiting her sick boyfriend.

Bluffton's Chris Burnett said he generally agrees with the governor's proposals and likes the "same-sex marriage ban."

He's hesitant, though, to make amendments to the constitution.

"I don't believe in changing what was already written," he said. "Let sleeping dogs lie, in my opinion. There was nothing very wrong with it before, so why change it now?"

Staff Writer Betsy Gilliland contributed to this article.

Reach Kirsten Singleton at (803) 414-6611 or kirsten.singleton@morris.com.