SPEEDING: News broke Tuesday that Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who oversees debate in the Senate, was stopped for speeding twice in the past four months without receiving a ticket. To deal with the election-year problems that created, Bauer walked to work Wednesday and then hiked 10 miles from the Statehouse to the state Republican headquarters in Lexington to file for reelection. Bauer, who has run marathons, said he plans to walk a lot more in the months leading up to the June primary as he seeks to make amends to the public.

He wasn't the only one heading to GOP headquarters. Henry Jordan entered the race against Bauer after learning about the speeding incidents. He joins Mike Campbell in the primary. The winner faces Democrat Robert Barber in November.

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STATE BUDGET: The House gave final approval to the state's $6.3 billion budget Thursday. Lawmakers also gave second reading to two related bills that spend $232 million. Among other things, the spending package buys new school buses, puts more troopers on patrol and gives state workers a 3 percent raise. The main budget bill goes to the Senate, where senators have been working on their own list of spending priorities. The other bills are expected to follow Tuesday.

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SEX OFFENDERS: A bill that makes twice-convicted child molesters eligible for the death penalty cleared the state Senate on Wednesday. The proposal was approved as part of a larger bill that sets minimum sentences and lifetime electronic monitoring for some sex offenders. It allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty for sex offenders who are convicted twice of raping a child younger than 11.

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SCHOOL CALENDAR: A bill meant to give parents more time with their children during the summer is heading to Gov. Mark Sanford's desk after winning final Senate approval Wednesday. The measure, which was approved by the House last month, prevents schools from starting classes earlier than the third Monday in August. Schools with year-round schedules are exempt.

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BREAST FEEDING: Legislation allowing mothers to breastfeed in public without the fear of being ordered out of sight is going to the Senate floor. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the measure Tuesday. It exempts breast-feeding from indecent exposure laws.

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FLAG LOWERING: Statehouse flags flew at half-staff Wednesday in belated recognition of civil rights leader Rosa Parks who died in October. Flags on federal buildings flew at half-staff when Parks died, but Gov. Mark Sanford said state law prevented him from extending the honor to Parks. Legislation signed into law by Sanford on Wednesday gave him the authority to lower the flags.

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UTILITIES: Residents affected by last year's ice storm will be able to tell senators how utilities can improve their response at two public hearings next month. The hearings, which will be held in Columbia and Greenville, come four months after the storm left more than 350,000 Duke Power customers without power.