Virginia, Arkansas Legislatures Formally Adjourn

Blog post

On April 15, the Virginia General Assembly reconvened to consider the governor’s vetoes and recommendations, and to formally adjourn. Legislators were unable to override the governor’s vetoes of House Bill 1752 and Senate Bill 724, which would have prohibited the state Board of Education from adopting the Common Core State Standards without legislative approval. The Legislature approved technical changes recommended by the governor to House Bill 1930, which requires employees at institutions of higher education to report acts of sexual violence against students and requires a review committee to determine if further action is warranted. 

The Arkansas Legislature formally adjourned its legislative session on April 22. Education legislation approved during the session includes: House Bill 1241, which prohibits the state Board of Education from approving a renewed statewide student assessment contract of more than one year in length; House Bill 1377, which allows a school district to petition the state Board of Education for any of the waivers granted to a public charter school that draws students from that district; and Senate Bill 366, which provides additional compensation to grade seven through grade 12 teachers who volunteer to use their planning period to teach an additional class. All three bills have been signed into law.