(Columbia) March 4, 2004 - Some lawmakers are questioning a plan to include $700,000 in the state budget for the coming year to help start a college football bowl game in South Carolina.

House Minority Leader James Smith (D) Columbia, says he's shocked that a contribution to the proposed Palmetto Bowl is in the $5.3 billion budget. The Democrat says the state should be focusing on fundamentals during a tight budget year. Senator John Land (D) Clarendon County, "These are different times and we need to use all the state money for state functions, mostly education and health care."

The plan has the support of Republican leaders, including Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell of Charleston and Majority Leader Rick Quinn of Columbia. Charleston Representative Chip Limehouse says the $700,000 would help the state's tourism industry, a point that Quinn agrees with, "It has an economic development impact. It brings folks into the state, they spend tourism dollars and it highlights the #1 industry and that's tourism."

The bowl game would be played at The Citadel and feature an Atlantic Coast Conference team and a Conference USA team.

By Megan Hughes
Updated 7:26pm by Chris Rees with AP