DENVER - An Aurora Democrat backed off on an idea Wednesday to ask voters to raise the state's sales tax to pay for services for the developmentally disabled.

Under Rep. Mike Garcia's plan, which was withdrawn from consideration by an interim committee on the subject that he chairs, the voters would have been asked next year to raise the state's sales and use tax from 2.9 percent to 3.4 percent.

The money it would have generated, about $200 million a year, would have been to serve the 3,692 adults and 157 children who suffer from physical or mental developmental disabilities.

Garcia's panel, the Committee on Long-Term Care Services and Support for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, did approve seven other measures, only one of which focuses on funding.

That measure, however, doesn't identify a specific funding source.

"We have to start somewhere," said Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, who will introduce a measure calling for $8 million in general fund money going into a special trust fund. "I would be not only surprised, but astounded if this is the number we end up with. I would hope it would be greater, but I think there's going to be a lot of competition for funds."

Garcia opposed the measure, saying it isn't right to dedicate funds to a specific purpose without also detailing what other state programs would have to be cut to pay for it.

He said not doing so takes the easy way out.

"This does nothing to identify what the cuts are going to be," he said. "There will be cuts in real dollars to other programs. There just will be. I appreciate the intent . . . but I just think that we ought to identify where we're going to take this money from."

The committee, whose bills must be approved by legislative leaders before they can be introduced, also include promoting public and private employment programs for the developmentally disabled, and helping the disabled better navigate a waiting list to get services.