Education voucher bill narrowly clears Oklahoma House panel

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Public money could be spent on Oklahoma students who attend private schools under a Republican-backed voucher program that has narrowly cleared a House committee.

The House Education Committee voted 9-8 on Monday for the bill by Oklahoma City Republican Rep. Jason Nelson and it now heads to the full House.

Nelson says the bill called the "Education Savings Account Program," is intended to provide parents with more education options for their children. But the bill has drawn stiff bipartisan opposition from those who claim the idea will erode even more money from public schools at a time the state is slashing funding for education amid a $1.3 billion budget shortfall.

The bill would establish the voucher program for the 2016-2017 school year.