Daily Radio Script

Last week was a busy one for the House and Friday marked the half way point of the session. Some important issues remain to be addressed. Others, however, have come to a vote.

Most notable is the supplemental spending bill for the current fiscal year. The Senate cut funding for construction of educational facilities and eliminated some mental health positions. The House disagreed with these cuts and insisted that a conference committee be named to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate versions of the spending plan.

Another education matter, the so called virtual school program, also received attention during the General Assembly’s fourth week. This innovation, which has been proposed by the Governor, will enable children to take classes which are not offered in their local systems.

Student participants will have the opportunity via computers and email to take from 60 to 100 courses in addition to advanced placement classes on which they might otherwise miss out.

Other major items last week: bills allowing the Department of Transportation to study authorizing so called flex lanes to ease congestion by allowing certain interstate road shoulders to be opened to traffic; enabling health care providers who offer their services for free to be exempt from liability; and revising state regulation governing window tinting in cars to meet standards required by a court challenge.

The House reconvenes Tuesday February 22 nd.

I’m __________ reporting from the Capitol .

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