Government

A measure that would require "family life education" curricula taught in Tennessee schools to be abstinence-centered is advancing in the Senate.  The measure sponsored by Republican Senator Jack Johnson unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee 9-0 Wednesday.

State lawmakers have approved two major pieces of legislation dealing with drug abuse in Kentucky.

House Bill 4 tightens regulations on prescription pills. It passed the full Senate Wednesday afternoon. Around the same time, the House passed Senate Bill 3, which caps the amount of pseudoephedrine Kentuckians can buy every month without a prescription. Since both bills were amended, they will now return to their original chambers, where lawmakers must decide whether to agree with the changes or send them to conference committees for compromises.

Tennessee's state budget could cut all funding to The Paris Special School District Family Enrichment Center. Director Donna Vaughn says half of its funding comes from the state and if the budget passes, the center would likely have to close this summer.

“We do not have the excess funds in our budget to absorb it at this time. So we really don’t want to look down that road, but it doesn’t look good for us if that happens.”

Budget talks in Frankfort appear to have stalled.

Lawmakers have met for three straight days, usually twice a day, to resolve differences between budget proposals passed by the House and Senate. But there are firm disagreements over school construction, cuts to the governor'’s office and coal severance projects.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo says the Senate isn'’t compromising on those issues, so the potential to deliver a budget on time is in danger.