HELENA— The House has endorsed Senate amendments to one of the major tax reduction bills of the session, but it faces a likely veto from Gov. Steve Bullock.

On a party-line 59-41 vote, the House approved Senate amendments to House Bill 166 by House Majority Leader Keith Regier, R-Kalispell. All House Republicans voted for the bill, while all Democrats voted against it.

The House voted 58-39 Friday to give final approval to HB166, so the bill heads to Bullock for his signature or veto.

As amended, the bill would cut state individual income taxes, and reduce state revenues, by about $42 million a year.

Asked if Bullock will veto HB166, spokesman Dave Parker said, “Gov. Bullock and his administration have been clear that they think this bill is fiscally irresponsible, and he will not support any legislation that will jeopardize the responsible fiscal management that has been successful for our state.”

“Republican legislators have proposed legislation that would leave our state deep in debt, forcing cuts in education, public safety and health care,” Parker said.

As amended by the Senate, HB166 would permanently reduce state income tax rates by two-tenths of 1 percentage point in each of the state’s seven tax brackets. For example, in the highest bracket for taxpayers with taxable income exceeding $13,900, the tax rate would drop to 6.7 percent from the current rate of 6.9 percent.

Regier’s original bill would have lowered the seven tax rates by one-tenth of 1 percentage point.

The Revenue Department and governor’s Office of Budget and Program Planning have estimated HB166 would cut taxes and reduce state revenue collections by $26 million in fiscal 2016, $53 million in 2017, $41.7 million in 2018 and $43.6 million in 2019.

Democratic Rep. Tom Woods of Bozeman criticized the bill, saying two-thirds of the tax cuts would go to the wealthiest 20 percent of Montanans.

He said there were other more compelling reasons to vote against the bill, calling it more about politics than economics.

“The point of this bill, as many of us see it, is to move a tax cut bill to the governor’s desk, and he’ll veto it,” Woods said.

A “smart responsible governor” doesn’t cut taxes when the Legislature hasn’t even adopted a revenue estimate yet, Woods said.

Regier disputed Woods’ contention over the unequal distribution of state tax cuts and said those in the lower tax brackets would get the largest tax cuts.

He said those Montanans who are in the lowest of the states’ seven tax brackets will see a 20 percent tax reduction, while those in the next lowest bracket would see a 10 percent savings. Those in the highest bracket would get a 2.9 percent cut.

“A smart, responsible governor will recognize who’s funding the government and give them a break,” Regier said.

His bill is one of two major tax bills that have advanced so far.

The Senate has passed and sent to the House SB200 by Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip. Ankney’s bill would reduce income tax rates, widen the tax brackets and reduce the capital gains tax credit rate.

It would reduce individuals’ taxes and cut tax collections by $17.4 million in fiscal 2016, $62.1 million in 2017, $55.7 million in 2018 and $57.8 million in 2019.