A bill prohibiting counties from strictly regulating poultry and cattle farms -- but allowing them to pass tough hog farm rules -- is going to the S.C. Senate for consideration.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill Tuesday after weeks of debate. But the committee agreed that the bill should only apply to chicken, turkey and cattle farms, rather than hog farms. The committee also dropped a proposal to have the bill apply to a range of laws, not just those governing animal farms.

Judiciary Committee member Bob Waldrep, R-Anderson, said senators believe the threat of pollution from hog farms is far greater than from poultry or cattle farms. As a result, they agreed to allow counties to continue to adopt local laws that regulate swine farms more strictly than state law, he said.

The bill now goes to the full Senate, with little more than a week left in the legislative session. The bill does not apply to local zoning laws, but to specific laws counties would adopt governing chicken and cattle farms.

The farm lobby has been pushing the Legislature to block counties from imposing regulations on animal farms that are tougher than existing state pollution and setback requirements. Critics have said counties need the ability to regulate more tightly than the state because animal farms can pollute the air and water.

House Approves Redistricting Plan

The S.C. House gave key approval to its own redistricting plan Tuesday.

House members then gave second reading to a Senate bill that makes changes in both House and Senate lines.

While the House's 124 members ran for election on a court-ordered plan in 2002, the state's 46 senators weren't up for re-election until 2004. Senators approved changes to those court-drawn lines last month, saying they eliminated split precincts.

House members did the same last week and sent their plan to the floor for debate.

If it passes, Gov. Mark Sanford can veto it or sign it into law.