Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ education plan on Tuesday moved a step closer to being voted on in the Senate, but Democrats complained Republicans were setting up the measure for defeat.

Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka said moves to advance the $304 million tax increase for public schools “was about trying to give the governor a loss. The public needs to know these games are being played.”

Hensley and other Democrats said they were upset because the Senate Education Committee reattached a proposed statewide property tax increase to Sebelius’ plan that had been previously removed by the Senate tax committee.

Sebelius proposed increases in state sales, income and property taxes but said she was willing to accept removal of the property tax portion of the bill.

But now it’s back in the bill thanks to Republicans on the Education Committee.

Committee Chairman Dwayne Umbarger, R-Thayer, said he wasn’t playing politics with the education bill.

Umbarger said he was dumbfounded by the charge since he was moving a Democratic governor’s original education plan to the floor of the Senate for a vote. “I really don’t understand where they are coming from,” he said of the Democrats’ criticisms.

Umbarger said he gave Sebelius time to sell her plan to the public and Legislature, and that the proposal had received fair hearings in two committees.

Now, he said, it’s time for the full Senate to consider it, which may happen next week.

Under the Sebelius tax plan, a 5 percent surcharge would be added to personal income taxes; the state sales tax would increase from 5.3 cents per dollar to 5.7 cents per dollar between July 1 and July 1, 2006, and the school mill levy would increase by one mill in 2005 and another mill in 2007. A mill is a tax of $1 per $1,000 assessed valuation.

The increased taxes would go to a $250 per-pupil increase in base state aid over three years; an increase in the share of school-finance funds for at-risk and bilingual students; and additional funding for early childhood education.