COLUMBIA - Fee increases and more cuts will help cover short revenue, Senate Finance Committee members suggested Tuesday, as the full panel met to start work on subcommittee budget recommendations.

The finance committee did not discuss details of how members plan to resolve the state's $5.49 billion budget and expected revenue of $4.98 billion.

Instead, members went over scores of budget provisos.

Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, said he wanted to defer all serious money discussion to today, but the talk often turned to money worries while the panel was looking at provisos.

Some members did not like the proposal to impose a fee on parents for use of a court-appointed guardian for children.

Sen. David Thomas, R-Greenville, who supports the fee, said the money will help pay the costs of the program.

Thomas also proposed raising the $3 license plate transfer fee, used when someone transfers the plate to another car, to $10 and charging $25 for commercial driver's license tests on top of the current special license fee to help the Department of Motor Vehicles. But Leatherman said the money might be better in the state Infrastructure Bank, the lending program that helps pay for major road projects.

Sen. Kay Patterson, D-Columbia, said the leaders talking about raising fees are the same ones who pledged not to raise taxes.

The agencies asked for new fees as a way to help with budget cuts, and they are a reasonable approach, Thomas said.