Senate Panel Ditches Bill to Fund Drug-Free Scholarships

Source from:  March 10, 2008 The Associated Press BOISE, Idaho 03/11/2008

The Senate Education Committee ditched a $4 million scholarship for students who stay off drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Groups such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association said there were better ways to spend the money. The committee vote was 8-1. The House voted 55-14 last month for the so-called "Key to the Future Scholarship." Students who pledged to stay off controlled substances, maintain a 2.5 grade point average, and submit to random drug tests would have been eligible. Representative Sharon Block, the bill's sponsor, says the program was based on rewarding good behavior. Opponents said that while it was a laudable goal, much of the cash would likely go to kids who were already drug free, not those at risk. Enditem