House Democrats voted Tuesday to oppose an amended Senate bill to study the state's tax system.
The Democrats' caucus voted to unanimously oppose the legislation, expected to come up for House debate on Wednesday, unless the House of Representatives agrees to restore Democrats in both chambers with the ability to make appointments to the study commission.
House Democrats also want the legislation to include a comprehensive review of the state's taxation system, including all income taxes, property and sales taxes.
Both minority party representation on the study committee and the review of all taxes were stripped from the Senate-passed bill, leaving only the House speaker, Senate president and governor -- all Republicans -- with appointive powers to the commission.
The amended bill now includes only a study of the state's sales taxes.
"Democrats want to have a non-political director (of the study commission)," said House Minority leader Harry Ott, D-Calhoun. "Otherwise, it injects politics right back into it."
The state is reeling from revenue losses during the current recession. Democrats blame, in part, recently passed tax reform that changed the basis of educational funding from property taxes to sales taxes, which have decreased sharply due to the recession.