The proposal, which has already passed the Senate, did not reach the two-thirds majority of the vote needed to pass the House. Supporters quickly moved to reconsider the plan, meaning it could come to another vote Thursday.

The plan would have allowed voters to decide in June whether to expand the homestead exemption, but critics said it would force local governments to cut services or hike property taxes.

Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, the measure's sponsor, suggested its critics "spend too much time in Atlanta and not enough time listening to the very people that put them in office."