RIDGELAND -- State Sen. Clementa Pinckney believes he's found a compromise that will end a two-month legal battle between Jasper County and the state over a proposed shipping terminal, and he plans to present it in Columbia today.

County officials have worked for more than a decade to bring a port to Georgia-owned land on the Savannah River in Jasper County. They reached a $450 million development, management and loan agreement with private developer SSA Marine in January.

But the Ports Authority is looking for its own private port developer for the Savannah River site and has filed a lawsuit in the state Supreme Court challenging Jasper County's right to pursue port plans.

Pinckney, D-Ridgeland, and Sen. David Thomas, R-Greenville, members of the Senate's Ports Authority Subcommittee, will hold a news conference to announce the proposed compromise at 11:30 a.m. today at the Statehouse.

Pinckney wouldn't offer details about the proposal Tuesday, but a release announcing the news conference states that the compromise has the support of 23 other senators and 43 members of the state House of Representatives.

"This issue should be settled out of court," Pinckney said Tuesday. "I believe this compromise will address issues the (Ports Authority) has raised, keeping in mind the invested interest of Jasper County and SSA."

Under Jasper County's agreement with SSA Marine, the county would receive $4 million a year once the port opened plus $2 per cargo container that moves through the terminal.

Thomas said the senators' plan has a similar structure.

"Jasper County can and should receive from its port an income, both a per-container fee and a fixed sum," he said. "Basically it lays out those conditions."

Word of a proposed compromise came as a surprise Tuesday to officials on each side of the debate.

"I'm not aware of any Ports Authority involvement in it," Ports Authority spokesman Byron Miller said of the plan.

Jasper County officials wondered why Pinckney didn't mention his plan Monday when he met with County Council members to discuss their trip to Columbia, planned for Thursday.

"I'm surprised he didn't mention it," said County Councilman Chairman George Hood.

County administrator Andrew Fulghum also said he didn't know what the Pinckney-Thomas plan would include.

"We're heading up tomorrow to discuss their solution," he said Tuesday.

Pinckney said his plan has strong support on both sides of the aisle.

"There is strong bipartisan support for this," he said. "Over half the Senate and many House members are on board."

Today's announcement will come a day before Jasper County officials are scheduled to go before the Senate's Ports Authority Subcommittee to present their development plan to legislators.

Any residents interested in joining Thursday's trip should call the county at 726-7700.