COLUMBIA (AP) — A Senate subcommittee Tuesday received a review of a House plan to swap most property taxes with an increase in sales taxes.

The panel took no vote and adjourned after getting an explanation of the proposal approved by the House two weeks ago.

The House plan would raise the state sales tax from 5 cents to 7 cents, except on groceries, in exchange for removing all school, city and county operating costs from the tax bills on owner-occupied homes.

The 2-cent sales tax increase would not cover the cost of the whole plan, which is expected to be $116.8 million the first year and $396.4 million by 2009-10.

Senators openly dislike the plan, but the panel chose to wait until its next meeting, likely next Tuesday, before deciding how to proceed.

The panel’s chairman, Sen. Wes Hayes, R-Rock Hill, said the goal is to send a plan to the Senate Finance Committee by March 28. Hayes, a member of the Senate panel that studied the issue for months, has consistently opposed the idea of a tax substitution.

But Hayes said he’s ‘‘committed to trying to find the best bill I can.’’

Hayes does support changing the way property is reassessed, a piece of the House plan the Senate dealt with separately. Earlier Tuesday, the Senate gave final approval to its version of reassessment, which if approved by voters, would limit how much property values can go up for tax purposes.

Also on Tuesday Gov. Mark Sanford signed two bills into law.

One raises penalties for store clerks who sell cigarettes to minors, limits locations for cigarette vending machines and makes it unlawful for minors to possess tobacco. Police would notify parents and minors would face a $25 fine or could be ordered to perform five hours of community service.

The other bill reauthorizes the First Steps early childhood program to operate until 2013.