A Carson City judge has ruled an effort to repeal the new Nevada Commerce Tax can move forward.

Judge James Wilson disagreed Wednesday with arguments from the Coalition for Nevada's Future, which sought to invalidate a petition that seeks to repeal the tax.

The move is a victory for Republican Controller Ron Knecht and others who are opposed to the tax, which applies to businesses with more than $4 million in annual Nevada revenue. Supporters now must gather more than 55,000 signatures statewide to place the measure on the ballot in 2016.

It's a setback for Gov. Brian Sandoval and more than two-thirds of lawmakers who backed the measure as part of a $1.1 billion tax package aimed at increasing funding for public education.