COLUMBIA - A bill allowing local governments to ban or regulate casino boats was near passage when the Senate adjourned for the day Wednesday.

The measure, which delegates the state's power to ban gambling on cruises to nowhere, was delayed when it became entangled with the Catawba Indian bingo issue.

The bill also met with several amendments from gambling supporter Jake Knotts, R-West Columbia. Most of those failed, but Knotts was successful with a change that makes local governments pay their own legal costs for lawsuits over casino-boat regulations.

Under the original provisions of the bill, the attorney general would have defended the local governments.

Debate comes as the House and Senate are working to finish as many bills as they can and send them to the House by the May 1 deadline.

Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Isle of Palms, said coastal cities and counties need help with the issue because it was thrust on them by federal law and they have no way to respond.

The 1992 Johnson Act allows cruises to nowhere unless a state bans them. Three previous attempts at a ban failed because of Charleston-area opposition based on concern that a ban would interfere with passenger-ship business. Many passenger ships contain gambling rooms. The only casino boats operating are in Little River, but others have indicated interest in Murrells Inlet, Georgetown and Edisto Beach. Georgetown city and county passed ordinances banning the boats, but a prospective operator sued the county and won when a circuit judge ruled the federal law does not permit local governments to ban the cruises.

Ray Cleary, R-Murrells Inlet, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Campsen, said it was important to his constituents.

"In Murrells Inlet, where they do not want these boats, let me paint a picture. It is not like Charleston Harbor," he said.

The inlet is ringed with homes as well as businesses, and most of the people do not want casino boats there, Cleary said.

Votes on proposed amendments to the bill show broad support for it, but debate bogged down when Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, tried to attach a provision allowing Catawba bingo in Orangeburg County.

The Catawbas, who have a bingo parlor in Rock Hill, are guaranteed another parlor under a treaty with the state.

Almost 10 years ago, the tribe tried to put the second parlor in North Myrtle Beach, but the town refused and the decision was upheld when the Catawbas sued.

Last year, the tribe's proposal for a high-stakes bingo operation at Santee in Orangeburg County was shot down by opponents who said the treaty does not allow high-stakes video bingo.

Hutto said if casino-boat regulation can be local, then a Catawba bingo bill can be local.

Sen. Glenn McConnell, acting as the presiding officer, ruled the amendment out of order.