The Senate voted 29-11 on Tuesday to reduce the sales tax to 5.7% from the current 6.3% in July 2013, adding the proposal as an amendment to a broader tax bill.

Debate on the bill continued, and senators expected to decide Tuesday evening whether to give the entire measure first-round approval.

The sales tax was raised in 2010 to help balance the budget, and is already scheduled to drop in 2013. But Brownback wanted to keep it at 6.3% to offset his proposed income tax cuts.

The bill in the Senate contained many – but not all – of Brownback’s recommendations on income taxes.