COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Senate on Tuesday remained mired in procedural issues and amendments aimed at creating pressure for a sales tax increase, bringing another day of delay that makes an extended session more likely.

Since last Tuesday, the Senate has argued over dozens of Democrats' amendments aimed at forcing guarantees of more spending for education programs. They were an effort to increase the appetite for a tax increase.

The Senate is expected to take the whole week to wrap up its work, leaving only three weeks for the House and Senate to work out differences in budget before mandatory June 5th adjournment. While it usually takes about two weeks for a conference committee to do that, it could take longer this year, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman said Tuesday morning as he asked senators to pick up the pace.

"We've got to get the appropriations bill finished," Leatherman said. "The conference committee probably will be one of the longest and hardest we've seen in many years."

House Speaker David Wilkins said that an extended session appears to be a sure thing now, at least for dealing with vetoes that Gov. Mark Sanford may have for the state's $5.2 billion spending.

"Usually ... we have had the budget back by now," Wilkins, R-Greenville, told House members Tuesday.

While the Senate has passed over dozens of amendments, they will have to be dealt with in the days ahead. And senators continue to argue about fees in the budget.

For instance, senators argued whether to overrule a decision by Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer to allow the budget to include a $25 surcharge on traffic and other court fines in the budget. That budget provision was supposed to generate about $24 million for law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.

Bauer, in the news last week for a reckless driving ticket, left the chamber as that point was argued.

Democrats pointed out that Bauer's ruling was inconsistent with several he made last week that tossed sales tax changes and other fees increases from the budget.

Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, and Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, argued that the fines would do more harm than good, creating resentment with police departments and drivers.

"If you quit committing crimes, you don't have to worry about any of these fees," Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island.

In the end, senators dropped the challenge to Bauer and voted to dump the fee on a 34-8 vote.

From there, senators chewed up nearly 45 minutes arguing over whether federal money should be spent on a program that would add photos to voter registration cards, making them a form of photographic ID that could cut down on voter fraud. The amendment was tabled.