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Two state bills that would have made it harder — or impossible — for local governments to deny mining permits have died in a Senate committee.

One proposal would have allowed mining by right in any area that local growth plans allowed it. That would include the entire 83,000-acre Density Reduction Groundwater Resource area in southeast Lee County, subject of an ongoing $1.4 million land use study funded by the county.

The other would have required a super-majority vote — 4 of 5 county commissioners — to deny a mine permit, but allowed a simple majority to approve one.

“Both bills died in Senator (Burt) Saunders’ committee,” said Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall.

County officials have praised Saunders, R-Naples, for stalling the two bills. As chairman of the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee, Saunders he had them temporarily postponed a week ago. Thursday afternoon they died.

The committee voted 3-2 in opposition of Senate Bill 2406, and 4-2 against SB 774, according to the official Web site of the Florida Senate.

“That still leaves the bill in the House,” said Hall, who was in Tallahassee to see the Senate bills die Thursday.

A House transportation bill carries an amendment that includes pre-emption language similar to what died Thursday.

“This still leaves the bill in the House we’ve got to watch,” Hall said. “And it doesn’t mean there won’t be an amendment to the Senate transportation bill with the House language.”

Lee County commissioners have spoken in a rare unanimous voice against any bill that would take control over mine permitting from local hands. Pressure to mine in southeast Lee rose last year when a federal judge ordered a large swath of rock mines in Dade County closed.

Southeast Lee is one of five regions in Florida where construction-quality aggregate can be mined. Prices spiked with the federal order, and a half-dozen mine applications are pending off Corkscrew Road. There are about 4,000 acres of mines in Lee County, and another 4,000 or-so permitted.