COLUMBIA - Senators gave approval to the state's $5 billion budget Wednesday, but left open discussion that could increase taxes and fees to fund education and health care programs.

Senators approved the budget, 27-14, but the vote doesn't end the budget debate. Senators plan to take up a bill that could increase the state's cigarette tax by 53 cents to 60 cents a pack, increase traffic ticket fees and raise sales tax.

Senators also decided Wednesday how to spend money from the S.C. lottery.

The lottery spending plan would use $195 million for scholarships and grants, school technology, university research and school buses. The Senate proposal agrees mostly with what the House approved in March.

However, there are some significant differences. Senators put $34 million toward reducing technical college tuition, well above the $27.8 million the House approved. The Senate also gave elementary reading, math, science and social studies programs $26 million, while the House had OK'd $40 million.

Senate approval of the lottery spending plan came after a marathon meeting that started at 10 a.m. Tuesday and wrapped up just before 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Senators spent most of the night working through nearly 400 amendments.

One of the amendments would eliminate the Education Oversight Committee, a panel formed to help implement the 1998 Education Accountability Act. The proposal passed on a 32-10 vote.

Supporters of the amendment said the committee duplicates functions of the state Education Department. The move would save about $1.2 million.

The Education Oversight Committee now becomes fodder for Senate and House negotiators, who will work out differences in the budgets.

Another difference that will have to be ironed out is a Senate-approved plan to keep legislators and agencies from obscuring pork projects in agency budgets.

Sen. Greg Ryberg, R-Aiken, used a proposal by House Majority Leader Rick Quinn as an example. Quinn, R-Columbia, funneled $900,000 to the Richland County Recreation Commission to pay for soccer and baseball fields in his district through the Department of Health and Environmental Control budget.

Other budget issues remain.

For instance, an amendment that balances the budget. That amendment calls for:

Tapping nearly $19 million from various sources, including the state's unclaimed property fund, an unemployment compensation account and interest from the state's tobacco lawsuit settlement.

Saving $10 million by using House proposals for budget cuts at 22 state agencies, including the Judicial Department, Agriculture Commission, Consumer Affairs agency, the lieutenant governor's office and the School for the Deaf and Blind.

Cutting $2 million each from the budgets of the Department of Public Safety and Clemson's noneducation programs.

Raising $25.5 million by capping the homestead exemption at current levels.

Also Wednesday, Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman said senators would try to take up a separate bill seen as the Senate's last chance to head off deeper spending cuts in education and Medicaid programs.

That bill is the focus of efforts to raise the state's cigarette tax and sales tax, as well as a variety of fees. Senate rules forced plans to increase the cigarette tax and sales taxes from the state budget and into the other bill.