COLUMBIA - A vote on a minibottle referendum bill was put off for the second time Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee.

The delay came on an 11-8 vote.

Supporters of the referendum bill say the measure still is being held up by supporters of a Catawba Indian bingo hall stuck in the Senate who want to swing more legislators to their side.

Those who voted against advancing the minibottle referendum bill would not say why.

"I am disappointed," said Chad Prosser, director of the state Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. He came to watch because he said it is "critical to the industry that it have an option" instead of being required to use minibottles.

Ending the nation's last minibottle requirement is a top priority of the hospitality industry. Voters must approve the change in a referendum; if the bill doesn't pass this year, the measure can't be put on the ballot until 2006.

The bill will be back on the committee's agenda Tuesday, and supporters will keep working, said Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach. He said he thinks there is more going on than the Catawba bingo issue, but he is not yet sure what it is.

"This is ridiculous," Clemmons said, especially considering the 90-10 vote on the bill in the full House last year. "And now it can't get through the committee where it began."

The committee is to review the Senate's version of the bill, which differs slightly from the House version. Either the House must approve the Senate bill - or the Senate, the House bill - for the measure to pass.

The proposal allows those who want to continue to use minibottles to do so, while those who want free-pouring could use that option, or bars could do both.

A bill stalled in the Senate would allow the Catawbas to have a video bingo parlor at Santee, but anti-gambling opponents say they will not let it pass.

The tribe is suing the state for a ruling that its agreement with the state allows it to have high-stakes video bingo. The tribe also says its agreement with the state gives it the right to have video poker, even though it was outlawed four years ago. Some legislators agree such an argument could be made, and that is one reason they support the bill.