ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, September 27, 1996 TAG: 9609270076
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
Virginia is continuing its efforts in Congress to obtain the federal money for public schools that Gov. George Allen has rejected once because of the regulations that might come with it.
An amendment to a catchall spending bill introduced Tuesday night would let Virginia use the federal Goals 2000 money to buy classroom computers for public schools ``without the regulatory burden required for other uses'' of the money, said Sen. John Warner, R-Va.
Warner had worked with Allen and others on the amendment.
But the amendment could make the spending bill a target for a veto by President Clinton, said Jennifer Davis, a special assistant to Education Secretary Richard Riley. ``There have been discussions about that,'' she said.
Davis said the Education Department opposed any amendment to the Goals 2000 law, but had not seen the wording on the amendment.
Virginia is the only state that has rejected the Goals 2000 money and refused to allow its localities to participate in the program.
Allen contends the money would bring unacceptable federal mandates and restrictions. He asked Congress for leeway from the law to allow the state to buy computers for classroom use without any federal strings attached.
Ken Stroupe, an Allen spokesman, said he hoped the legislation would be debated or voted on this week.
``Partisan politics being what they are at this point in Washington, I think we're hopeful, but realize it will take the signature of President Clinton to make this a reality,'' Stroupe said.
However, the Clinton administration was negotiating with congressional leaders over the spending bill, and the version containing the Goals 2000 amendment may not be the chief spending bill up for debate, the Richmond Times-Dispatch quoted an unidentified Democratic congressional source as saying.
Congress is about to adjourn so House members and some senators - including Warner - can go home and campaign for re-election in the Nov. 5 election.
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