JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Senate Education Committee heard three bills today – two from Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, and one from Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar.
SB172, sponsored by Romine, which would require the State Board of Education to establish minimum graduation requirements for a career and technical education high school diploma, heard substantial favorable testimony, including support from the Missouri Community College Association.
This act would require the State Board of Education to establish minimum graduation requirements for a career and technical education high school diploma. Those entering high school in the 2016-2017 school year would be eligible to receive a CTE diploma, which would confer the same benefits for students that are conferred by any other high school diploma that meets the State Board of Education’s graduation requirements.
A CTE diploma must be based on requirements designed to provide students with technical skills and core academic skills.
The second bill sponsored by Romine, SB224, received some emotional testimony in opposition. The bill would require a student to be a United States citizen or permanent resident in order to be eligible to receive reimbursements from the A+ Schools Program.
Emery’s bill, SB92, would create the Campus Free Expression Act to protect free expression on the campuses of public institutions of higher education. The bill received support from representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union. The committee joking took pictures of the extremely conservative senator with ACLU lobbyist Greg Porter.
Five bills were passed out of today’s committee, including SB13, SB113, SB116, SB110 and SB173.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
