JLARC SOQ Study Reported from Senate Rules!

In an action which may have great significance for the future of education in Virginia, the Senate Rules Committee unanimously reported SJ 328 which directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to "determine if adequate state support is being provided to the Commonwealth's public schools and if not, how state support may be increased and used more efficiently."  Senator Dick Saslaw sponsored this measure, which Senator John Watkins called "The most critical study called for this session."

In another VEA victory, Delegate Lingamfelter's HJ 684, a pro charter school Constitutional amendment which would have allowed the Board of Education to establish charter schools within local school divisions without the approval of the local school board,  failed to report on a tie vote in the House Committee on Privileges and Elections.

YEAS--Cole, Putney, Ingram, Jones, Cosgrove, O'Bannon, Landes, Hugo, Cox, J.A., Ramadan, Ransone--11.

NAYS--Albo, Miller, O'Quinn, Yost, Scott, J.M., Brink, Joannou, Sickles, Howell, A.T., Krupicka, Hester--11.

Delegate McClellan's HB 1871, the anti-bullying bill, passed the house on second reading.  The final house vote may be Monday.

Both the grade-the-school bill, HB 1999, and the CPR bill, HB2028, passed to third reading.  Final House vote should be on Monday.

Please look for a Sunday posting following the release of the House and Senate budget bills.