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KS House advances largest school choice program in state history

March 15, 2023 sNawaWebs.ADV

Rep. Valdenia Winn, D- Kansas City, (left) questions Rep. Kristey Williams, R -Augusta, during a Kansas House debate on educational savings accounts.

Tammy Ljungblad

The Kansas City Star

Topeka

The Kansas House narrowly advanced a bill Tuesday that would increase special education funding while also establishing the largest school choice program in state history.

The House voted 61 to 59 to advance the bill after more than three hours of debate.

A final vote will be held Wednesday before the bill moves to a conference committee with the state Senate. The narrow vote exposes divisions within the Republican Party on the bill and leaves the door open for opponents to defeat it the following day.

Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican who chairs the House K-12 Budget Committee, attributed the sharp divide to a strong lobbying effort by public school advocates.

“The school lobby has such a hold on people

California declares state of emergency as subtropical storm moves over state | California

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An impending atmospheric river and rapidly melting snow has put communities across California on high alert for flash flooding, mudslides and rockslides as the subtropical storm surge moves over the state. Rivers and streams could also quickly rise beyond capacity and breach, the National Weather Service warned. Overall, some 16 million people are under flood watch warnings.

The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has declared a state of emergency for 21 counties, including some mountain communities still digging themselves out from the snow. “The state is working around the clock with local partners to deploy life-saving equipment and first responders to communities across California,” Newsom said on Wednesday evening. “With more dangerous storms on the horizon, we’ll continue to mobilise every available resource to protect Californians.”

This week’s storm is the latest in a string of extreme weather events that have battered the western US in recent weeks. At least 13

State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa Celebrates 66 Years

March 9, 2023 sNawaWebs.ADV

AMES, Iowa – Junior and senior high-school students from across the state are gearing up to compete for prizes, awards and scholarships during the upcoming State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa on March 30-31. SSTFI holds the Governor’s STEM Seal of Approval. The event is the largest STEM competition for youth in grades 6-12 and will be hosted in person at Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State University campus in Ames.

Research experience is core to the mission of SSTFI and allows students to gain critical scientific skills needed for postsecondary work, said Alexa Groff, Iowa 4-H STEM coordinator and director of SSTFI. Through participation in the event, students learn about science and engineering processes, problem-solving, and the importance of communicating and defending those findings to others. To compete, participants are asked to prepare a research poster detailing their findings and the data collected.

Students, teachers, families and members

Iowa bill pushes to halt ‘woke agenda’ in state universities, eliminate DEI spending, lawmaker says

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A bill progressing through the Iowa House of Representatives would halt a “woke agenda” in the state’s colleges by banning diversity, equity and inclusion spending, the legislation’s sponsor said.

“For too long, the DEI bureaucracies at our institutions of higher education have been used to push a woke agenda on the faculty, staff and students,” Iowa state Rep. Taylor Collins told Fox News. “Under the guise of diversity and inclusion, these programs work to indoctrinate students into their preferred political ideology.”

House File 616, which passed a House committee last week, would prohibit the state’s public universities from spending money on DEI offices or on employees working in positions centered around race, gender identity or sexual orientation. Courses, research, student organizations and guest speakers on those topics, however, would still be allowed.

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“This bill aims to dismantle these DEI programs and ensure this