COLUMBIA - Supporters of a referendum to end South Carolina's minibottle requirement said they would be working during the weekend for the 83 votes needed Tuesday in the House.

Last week, the House passed the referendum on second reading but not with the required margin for a referendum question. On a second vote, the question lost about 10 supporters.

The Senate already has passed the bill. The House passed essentially the same bill 90-10 in January with no discussion. Rep. Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach, said the revote came too late in the day and might have annoyed some House members who wanted to go home.

Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, called for the revote because some supporters of the referendum were out of the chamber during the first vote.

Supporters intend to get the help of chambers of commerce members in the districts of those who voted against the bill, Clemmons said.

He said people who want to vote on the change should call their House members and urge them to vote for it. It would not hurt to call the ones who voted for it and thank them, he said.

Ending the minibottle requirement is the top goal of the state's hospitality industry.

The bill requires 83 votes, or a two-thirds majority, because it calls for a constitutional referendum.

Pork-barrel spending

Gov. Mark Sanford's appearance outside the House chamber Thursday afternoon with two squealing, squirming piglets drew stark criticism from most legislators, including local ones.

Sanford was trying to show his disdain for what he called pork-barrel spending in the House budget that he vetoed and legislators restored.

Edge, a member of the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, said Sanford vetoed only about $36 million in spending, a minuscule amount in the $5.5 billion budget.

Sanford's vetoes included drugs for the poor and elderly, environmental testing, Coastal Carolina University and beach renourishment, Edge said.

He said the governor fails to understand the state has obligations it must meet and that spending is not pork. He also said the piglet stunt was outrageously disrespectful.

"It's just totally embarrassing, shows no class and is beneath the decorum of the office," he said.

"Just having some fun," said Will Folks, Sanford's spokesman.

Rushing to pass

The legislature's session has three more days, and both sides are rushing to pass bills.

On Thursday, Sen. Thomas Alexander, R-Walhalla, got the so-called Hooters bill withdrawn from its committee and put on the agenda for floor action. The bill, sponsored by Edge, would allow an airline to get a license allowing it to buy wholesale liquor for retail sale.

Edge said Hooters Air asked for the bill, but it would apply to any airline that wanted to buy liquor in South Carolina.

Sen. Dick Elliott, D-North Myrtle Beach, attached a compromise agreement on hair-braiding to Clemmons' bill that allows people to transfer their prescriptions more easily.

Under the compromise, braiders would have to take 60 hours of training, pass a test and be registered unless they already are licensed cosmetologists.

Braiders were shut down because the state Cosmetology Board ruled they must be licensed cosmetologists. Braiders said they do not need that much training.

The Senate passed the bill and sent it back to House.

A bill allowing Horry schools to call for a ballot question on a 1-cent sales tax to pay for school construction passed last week.