OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma Senate committee has given overwhelming bipartisan approval for a $160 million bond issue to renovate and repair the state Capitol.
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 20-1 on Wednesday to approve the bill, which authorizes the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority to issue the bonds.
The Senate and Gov. Mary Fallin have been supportive of a bond issue to overhaul the nearly 100-year-old building, but there has been resistance to the idea in the increasingly conservative House.
Former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon was a vocal critic of a bond issue, but newly elected Speaker Jeff Hickman has said he's open to discussing the idea with his caucus.
The bill next heads to the full Senate for consideration.