(AP) -- Supporters of a proposal to give Amazon a sales tax collection exemption in exchange for jobs and investment have cleared a key hurdle in the South Carolina Senate.
The Senate voted 31-14 on Tuesday to put the Amazon deal next on the calendar behind the budget. That met the three-fifths approval needed to avoid sending the proposal through the committee process.
There are two weeks left in the regular legislative session.
Republican Sen. John Courson of Columbia called it a significant test vote.
The House voted 97-20 last week to give Amazon a five-year exemption from collecting sales taxes from South Carolina's online shoppers. In exchange, the company promises to create 2,000 full-time jobs and invest $125 million.
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