Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) is setting up online sales tax legislation for a possible vote on the Senate floor after the chamber completes work on gun legislation.

On Tuesday night, Mr. Reid began the process of moving an online sales tax bill to the Senate floor on an expedited basis, without going through the committee process. A Senate Democratic aide said the move makes the bill a candidate for a vote after gun legislation, although he cautioned that debate over gun control could drag out and delay an online sales tax vote until May. Another Senate aide said that no final decisions have been made.

Many governors have been pushing for the power to force online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by out-of-state customers. Currently, merchants don’t have to collect sales taxes in states where they lack a physical presence thanks to a 1992 Supreme Court ruling. The result is that states lose billions a year in sales taxes. In addition, brick-and-mortar retailers say they are at a competitive disadvantage as shoppers, hoping to avoid sales taxes, flock to out-of-state online stores that do not add sales taxes to purchase prices.