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Senate Panel Approves Diverting Road And Bridge Funding To Schools

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A plan to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenue directly to public schools in Oklahoma during the next several years has passed a Senate committee, despite concerns the proposal will tie the hands of future legislators.

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 20-3 on Wednesday for the bill by state Sen. Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater). It now goes to the full Senate before returning to the House for consideration.

The bill targets state revenues before they reach the General Revenue Fund, the primary fund use to pay for state government programs.

Specifically, the bill would divert money currently being used to fund road and bridge projects across the state, starting with $30 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

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