Virginia schools for Virginia
students
Are legislators being stingy
with that good ol' Virginian education? With a bill to limit out-of-state
freshman enrollment to 25 percent, some say the answer is yes, according
to The Virginian-Pilot.
Three House Republicans
are pushing the bill: Delegates John S. Reid of Richmond, Allen W.
Dudley of Rocky Mount and James K. "Jay" O'Brien Jr. of
Fairfax.
They say Virginian students
should be the first to be accepted into public colleges like University
of Virginia and William and Mary. Most Virginia schools are fiercely
against the bill, saying limiting out-of-state students will hurt
their budgets and student body diversity.
Senate panel would boost
attendance officers
A Senate subcommittee has
voted unanimously in favor of a bill that would establish minimum
staffing level requirements for attendance officers and secretaries
in public schools.
Now, teachers often must
shoulder the task of contacting the parents of absent students. [Full
story by Jay-Anne Casuga]
Legislators cut slack
on 21-day rule
A bill to loosen the 21-day
rule, which restricts appeals by death row inmates, has gained support
from most Virginia legislators, the Richmond
Times-Dispatch reported. The bill would allow DNA evidence to
be presented more than 21 days after the final judgment in death penalty
cases.
Supporters maintain that
this change is necessary in a state with the death penalty. But critics
argue the 21-day rule should be abolished altogether.
Henry Heller, director
of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said the bill
doesn't go far enough - allowing only scientific evidence to be presented
after 21 days. Right now the bill has signatures from 132 of the 140
legislators.
Seat belt law straps the
General Assembly
Buckle up! It's the law.
In Virginia, if you are stopped for, say, a speeding ticket, the police
can slap another ticket on you for not wearing your seat belt.
But if Delegate Jerrauld
Jones, D-Norfolk, has his way, police will be able to stop you solely
on suspicion of "unbuckled-ness," the Daily
Press of Newport News reported.
On the coattails of the
teen driving hearings, this bill packs a similar emotional whammy.
It too is backed by stories of people who have lost their lives from
not wearing seat belts.
Nevertheless, opponents
say this bill will only give police the authority to stop people they
think are suspicious.
The irony: Jones is the
chairperson of the Black Caucus, a group avidly fighting racial profiling
(driving while black).
Bill would help localities
clean up land
The House Appropriations
Committee discussed legislation to help local governments clean up
contaminated properties.
[Full story by Laura Davis]
