The Oklahoma Senate votes overwhelmingly to make changes in the way education is funded. The plan approved today would eventually divert dollars from the road fund to education.
The bill was sponsored by Stillwater Senator James Halligan. He says it differs from a similar bill passed by the House.
"When it came off in the House, it called for 60 million; this calls for 30 million until we get the road fund full. Then, it takes the funds we are currently putting into the road fund."
Muskogee Senator Earl Garrison lobbied for the bill saying Oklahoma must do a better job.
"Folks, we're killing public education. We've got to step to the plate, and we've got to finance it. It's a shame that we rank number one in the nation in cuts, because Oklahoma is a poor state to begin with."
The bill now heads to a conference committee to work out the differences between the House and Senate bills.