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.
