An effort to remove the 4 percent state sales tax from groceries has failed in the Alabama House for the third time in nine days, and the second time in less than 24 hours.

The Alabama House voted 55-44 for the proposed constitutional amendment to remove the sales tax from groceries. But that was five votes short of the three-fifths tally needed to bring the measure up for debate.

Democratic leaders in the House say they will continue to put the bill on the House work agenda to highlight the importance of the issue. The bill was opposed by Republican lawmakers because it would also raise income taxes on some.