Sales tax hike would fund
transportation projects
The House of Delegates
passed a measure that would let Northern Virginians raise the sales
tax one-half penny, to 5 cents, to fund transportation projects in
the region, according to a report in The
Washington Post.
The House rejected a similar
funding proposal for education. Most Northern Virginia delegates want
money to help fund both schools and roads projects.
On Monday, the Senate passed
a bill that would increase the sales tax a penny and would fund education
and transportation. Because of the differences between the House and
Senate proposals, the General Assembly may be unable to reach an agreement
on the issue this session.
Assembly loosens SOLs'
grip on students, schools
The House passed two measures
in an effort to loosen the grip that the Standards of Learning tests
hold on graduation and school accreditation, The
Washington Post reported today.
House Bill 2122, sponsored
by Delegate L. Karen Darner, D-Arlington, allows students who fail
the SOLs to still have the opportunity to graduate if the student
is in good academic standing.
The current law requires
students to pass six SOL tests before graduating.
HB 2163, sponsored by Delegate
Thomas M. Jackson Jr., D-Carroll, will allow the Virginia Board of
Education to consider dropout rates, school attendance and teacher
training in addition to SOLs for accrediting a school.
State expresses 'profound
regret' over sterilizations
Gov. Jim Gilmore said Wednesday
that the House's official expression of "profound regret" was sufficient
statement of concern for the sterilization of 7,450 Virginians from
1924 to 1979, according to the Daily
Press of Newport News.
"That's something that
happened a long time ago before any of us were ever here," Gilmore
told reporters. "I think it's a sad thing, the House has made a statement
on it, and I certainly support the House position on it."
Eugenics was the purification
process through involuntary sterilization of those who were thought
to be inferior. The purpose was to maintain purity for the white race.
On an 85-10 vote Friday,
the House passed a resolution expressing "profound regret over the
Commonwealth's role in the eugenics movement in this country." The
resolution is now before the Senate Rules Committee.
Senate kills election
recounts procedures bill
The Senate yesterday killed
a bill that would allow the State Board of Elections to set up recount
procedures, the Richmond Times-Dispatch
reported.
On the heels of the chaotic
presidential election problems in Florida, several bills have been
introduced in reaction.
The Senate has already
passed one bill that would define how to count punch-card ballots.
