The Morning Cram [full court press edition]

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From NPR: A powerful leadership group — the Catholic Seven — is stepping forward and heading in a bold new direction: basketball. These schools want out of the Big (football) East Conference. Find out why these schools are choosing a new direction when it comes to college sports.

Kentucky: Voting along strict party lines, the Senate has approved a bill that would allow persistently low-performing public schools to become charter schools. The House Agriculture and Small Business Committee is expected to vote today on a proposal that could open the door to industrial hemp farming. Additional safeguards in child custody cases are now part of a bill that cracks down on human trafficking.

Tennessee: State lawmakers are threatening to pull the rug out from under Vanderbilt University’s police force of 90 sworn officers. The idea for a new state-level panel that could authorize charter schools to operate anywhere in Tennessee is moving ahead, while facing bi-partisan resistance. Michigan-based silicon products company Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation says its layoff of 300 workers at Clarksville is now permanent.

Illinois: Governor Pat Quinn is expected to call today for additional cuts and scrutiny of money that's automatically sent to local governments, public transportation and other programs as he presents his proposed budget. House has approved a series of measures that would ban semi-automatic assault weapons in Illinois.