OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A bill allowing parents to receive cash subsidies from the state to send their children to private schools has cleared a Senate committee despite bipartisan opposition.
The Senate Finance Committee voted 8-6 on Tuesday for the bill that is fiercely opposed by education groups, including those representing school boards, administrators and teachers.
Republican Sen. Clark Jolley of Edmond says his bill encourages school choice and wouldn't affect property tax revenue to schools. But it does allow 80 percent of the state-aid allocation for each child to be withheld from the local district and instead be paid to the parents in the form of a debit card.
The bill now goes to the full Senate.
A similar bill failed earlier this month in a House committee.