After a turbulent flight over the last few months, millions of dollars in state aid is only a governor's signature away from landing safely in the coffers of the North Bend Airport.

The second to last step unfolded late Tuesday night when Oregon's House of Representatives unanimously passed Senate Bill 152. It authorizes $10 million in Oregon lottery backed bonds for the expansion of the passenger terminal at the North Bend Airport.

Democrats contended that the bill had come to a standstill in the House's Budget Committee - where it languished for weeks - after the Senate unanimously passed the bill in June. Some Democrats believed that House Majority leader Wayne Scott, R-Canby, who chairs the committee, was making good on a threat to kill the bill, in an attempt to get even with Rep. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay.

Earlier in the session, Roblan refused a House leadership demand to back down from a education funding proposal promoted by Democrats. By not doing so, Roblan said, Scott told him he was jeopardizing Republican support for the airport. However, during a recent visit to the airport, Scott denied he made the threat and called the airport bill a "top priority."

After residing in House committees for weeks, the bill moved quickly Tuesday. In the morning it sailed through the House budget subcommittee on Government Transportation and Economic Development where it won unanimous support. Later in the afternoon, Scott's Budget Committee unanimously passed SB152 and hours later, the bill unanimously passed in the House, by a vote of 57-0.

South Coast politicians as well as leaders of both parties tussled over the bill for months. The debacle concerned the bill's chief co-sponsor, Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay, so much that she took part in a procedural move known as a "gut and stuff."

The tactic allowed Democrat leaders to yank the language from one House bill, placing it into another - sending the new bill back for a vote on the House floor. By doing so, the bill bypassed committee assignments.

However, the strategy rankled some Republicans and that bill failed on a strict party-line vote. Republicans refused to let the Democrats dictate their agenda.

In the end, Roblan said he believes legislators from both parties knew the bill was good for Oregon.

"I think - for both sides - it was important. It had to happen," Roblan said, speaking to what in the end was bipartisan support for economic development on the South Coast.

During his visit to the airport, Scott showered praise on Rep. Wayne Krieger, R-Gold Beach, for continually keeping the importance of the airport in the forefront of House leadership.

"To me, it seemed like a 10-month pregnancy with complications," Krieger said today. The State and Federal Affairs Committee he chairs unanimously voted for SB152 on July 29.

The Republican approval signaled to many politicians and South Coast business leaders that the politicization of the issue was loosening.

"It is has been a long and intrepid journey, but it finally looks like the North Bend Airport will get the funding it needs," Verger said.

The lottery bond funding is the final piece of a $32 million renovation project needed by the North Bend Airport. Local business leaders including Bandon Dunes General Manger Hank Hickox and Airport manager Gary LeTellier have lobbied hard for the funding. Airport supporters say a new terminal could bring double the number of aircraft to the airport and allow private aircraft to dock at the terminal.