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PHOENIX — The proposed sales tax increase to support spring training baseball in Pima County expanded Thursday to include taxes on going to the movies, visiting museums and all other taxable shopping, in addition to hitting hotels, restaurants and bars.

In an amendment on the Arizona House floor, lawmakers approved adding "amusements" and retail to what had originally been a plan aimed at taxing tourism-related amenities such as hotels and rental cars.

But the plan stalled when lawmakers tried to create different tax rate increases on different items and got confused over the numbers.

House members, who originally approved the measure before being forced to backtrack, said they will try again today to approve it.

The plan would still require voter approval in Pima County.

The expanded taxing system was meant to quell concerns from the restaurant industry, which is now neutral on the bill but previously opposed it.

But as the proposal underwent changes by the hour, some lawmakers who had warmed up to the bill were losing interest. And a typographical error delayed a vote on the floor late Thursday evening.

"This is getting crazy," said state Rep. Tom Prezelski, a Tucson Democrat. "This is really a debate that should have happened largely in Pima County."

Under the plan offered Thursday night, hotels, bars, restaurants, rental cars and amusements — such as movies and museums — would be taxed about three-tenths of a cent, down from the three-quarters of a cent previously proposed. Retail items would be taxed a tenth of a cent.

But backers of the plan and legislators were unclear of their math, which required the bill to be held after the amendment was added in hopes of fixing the error.

The version of the bill discussed Thursday still requires the county to hold an election on the tax increase proposal, rather than just giving the county the authority, which is what backers previously said they wanted.

But an amendment offered by Prezelski would let the county hold the election its officials want, instead of requiring a spring special election.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and other county leaders say the county can't afford the $1.4 million cost of a spring special election.

But backers of the tax say they can't get their plan ready to present to voters before early balloting starts for the November general election.

The Tucson group pushing the measure, the Arizona Cactus League, says it is trying to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies from moving their spring training elsewhere, as the Chicago White Sox have already decided to do.

The bill still must be approved by the full House and then sent to the Senate, which will require fast action as lawmakers anticipate possibly wrapping up the legislative session by the weekend.

Lobbyist Kevin DeMenna assured the House Commerce Committee when he testified Thursday morning that the county would have some flexibility about calling the election.

But after the committee hearing, DeMenna admitted the language that says "shall" rather than "may" mandates an election.

"Everybody's always been operating under the assumption this was voluntary," DeMenna said.

He said the county could prevent an election by discouraging a self-appointed sports authority from coming up with a plan of how the tax money would be spent and distributed.

"Appoint people who will send a plan that doesn't even approach viability," he suggested.

DeMenna said he favors changing the bill, saying it was his intention to make it voluntary.

But Tom Tracy, a board member of the interim sports authority and a member of the Southern Arizona Lodging and Resort Association, said he thinks the bill should require an election.

"If we don't have an election, there won't be spring training baseball," Tracy said.

"I know that there are other ways to manage the cost of an election, and we haven't even had a chance to have the conversation with Chuck Huckelberry."

The Pima County plan is modeled after one in Maricopa County that taxes hotel rooms and rental cars.

But that system wouldn't generate enough money in Pima without the taxes to bars and restaurants, proponents said.

Also, although the Pima County group had originally talked about a half-cent increase on a few targeted industries, estimates showed that wouldn't generate enough revenue.

Tucson's last attempt to attract baseball was the construction of Tucson Electric Park in 1998. It cost $38 million. But others cities are building more expensive parks that are drawing teams away.

An $80 million Glendale stadium will house the Los Angeles Dodgers and the White Sox.

In Goodyear, a $75 million stadium will house the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds.