Senators deal O?Malley small defeat

In what could be the first blow to Gov. Martin O?Malley?s deficit solution, senators on Saturday said they would not likely heed his call to change a tax system that proponents say allows corporations to avoid paying millions in income taxes.

Estimated to generate $27 million, the proposal known as combined reporting does not have enough votes to pass the Budget and Taxation Committee, Chairman Ulysses Currie said.Members appear to favor establishing a commission to study the state?s business tax structure over the next several years.