Government

A proposal preventing Tennessee students from being discriminated against for expressing religious beliefs is headed for a state House floor vote.  The measure sponsored by Republican Representative Andy Holt passed the House Education Committee on a voice vote Tuesday.  The companion bill is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Education Committee today.  Holt says he proposed the legislation after talking with a concerned school board member in his district.

The Illinois House has passed a bill requiring visitors to state parks to pay admission fees.  Bill sponsor, Republican Representative JoAnn Osmond, says the cash is needed to keep the parks open. Osmond says the money also could help pay to improve the parks because they've fallen into a state of disrepair.  Under the measure, Illinois would be able to charge annual fees for vehicle stickers to get into the parks and daily admission fees for pedestrians or drivers without annual passes.

Kentucky lawmakers are trying again to raise the state's dropout age.

Currently, students can drop out of school at 16 years old with parents' permission. But lawmakers and Governor Steve Beshear have pushed to raise the dropout age to 18, regardless of parental consent.

The latest proposal before the legislature would let local school boards decide  whether to adopt the higher dropout age. But once 70 districts opt in, it will become mandatory statewide.

Just days remain in this year’s legislative session. And with lots of bills still on the board, some Kentucky lawmakers offered their assessments on productivity during KET’s Kentucky Tonight this week. Retiring Representative Danny Ford believes legislative redistricting really bogged down the process.