In stark contrast to contentious debate over the bill the day before, the House quietly compromised, sending the legislation back to the committee from which it came. Since the House has passed two other versions of the bill, the measure's failure came as a surprise.

Majority Leader Jim Merrill, who led the opposition against Rep. Ronald Townsend and Speaker David Wilkins, claimed victory, saying the measure was all but dead.

"It's not often that we kick it back to committee over the head of the (committee) chairman," said Merrill, R-Daniel Island, who thinks the bill would give police too much power to stop motorists.

"I don't think there is any taste for (Townsend) to bring it up again. I fully intend to either have them improve the bill significantly, or if they don't seem amenable to that, try to kill the bill."

Townsend, R-Anderson, chairman of the education committee, which now has custody of the bill, vowed to formulate a passable version.

"I feel encouraged by the debate," Townsend said. "(We will) incorporate the ideas we heard on the floor and see how that matches with the overall mission."

State law permits police to ticket drivers 18 and over for not wearing seat belts only if they are stopped for other violations or if children aren't properly restrained.

The bill would allow police to stop adult drivers for not using their seat belts and issue a $25 fine. If the legislation is passed, the state would meet federal guidelines that could mean $18 million in transportation grants.

Until opposition mounted Wed-nesday, the bill was nearing full approval. It had passed the Senate, where it fell victim to contention and filibusters last session, and the House twice had approved similar measures in previous sessions.

The debate pitted two of the GOP's top guns against each other. Wilkins remarked during the debate that it reminded him of the "way it used to be done when (the party) had no discipline."

Wilkins, R-Greenville, and Merrill said their differences over this piece of legislation wouldn't affect Republicans' ability to work together.

"We decided that this isn't a (Republican) caucus issue," Merrill said. "So we didn't have to vote as a party."