COLUMBIA - The state House is poised today to pass legislation ending the minibottle requirement, and the Senate could also act.

The House, after a brief spate of debate Tuesday, is set for more discussion and key second reading today of the bill that specifies how the change would be made. Third reading is usually a formality.

If the first bill is successful, the House is likely to take up and pass the bill calling for a referendum for voters to say whether they want to make the change. The measure would be on the November 2004 ballot.

The referendum bill is awaiting third reading in the Senate, which Tuesday agreed to a budget after four weeks of wrangling over it and now has two days to work on bills.

The session ends Thursday at 5 p.m., but legislators will come back June 17 and 18 to handle any vetoes made by Gov. Mark Sanford.

Tom Sponseller, president of the S.C. Hospitality Association, said he has a commitment from enough House members to ensure passage of the bill by "a very strong vote."

If complete passage by both the House and Senate isn't accomplished this year, "we're in great position for January," when the session resumes, Sponseller said.

The association is the prime backer of the change in the minibottle law. South Carolina is the only state that requires the 1.7-ounce bottles, and the tourism industry says they make drinks too large and too expensive.

Rep. Bill Cotty, R-Columbia, told House members the bill allows restaurants that want to continue to use minibottles to do so. The revenue switch is made by changing the 25 cent minibottle tax to a 5 percent cocktail tax.

Cotty said studies by the state's own economists, using "way conservative" estimates, show a revenue gain. The money supports alcohol- and drug-abuse agencies.

"What if we did come up short, where would the money come from?" asked Rep. Jackie Hayes, D-Hamer, who represents part of Horry County.

Cotty said the state general fund would have to cover it, but "we feel pretty comfortable" that won't happen, he told Hayes.

Rep. Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island, said the change would be like a tax increase because people would get "watered-down drinks."

Cotty said the marketplace would take care of operators who did that.

"Stop all this talk about tourism" and talk about the loss to consumers, Merrill said.

Rep. Herb Kirsh, D-Clover, said he wants to amend the bill to require a 1.25-ounce drink, the average size.

Sponseller said Kirsh's proposal was put into law in Utah when it switched from minibottles and it does not work. Again, as with minibottles, there is the problem of what to do with special drink recipes that call for an ounce or half-ounce of a liquor or liqueur.

Eleven other amendments were filed. At that point, Cotty asked to put off further debate until today.