Oklahoma House sends $6.8 billion spending plan to governor

The spending plan protects the budgets of about 15 state agencies, including those that fund the state's public schools and road and bridge construction program.

[...] even supporters lamented that it does not include a pay raise for public school teachers, a top priority of Republican legislation leaders this year.

Opponents attacked the measure because it includes hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue approved during the final week of the legislative session — including the cigarette fee — in apparent violation of a state constitutional prohibition against adopting revenue-raising measures in the final five days of a legislative session.

Democratic leader Scott Inman, a candidate for governor next year, said the budget was balanced with multiple revenue measures adopted in the last five days of the legislative session in apparent violation of State Question 640, a citizen-initiated ballot measure adopted in 1992.