Senate panel backs in-state tuition for veterans

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Intro:	A bill moving through the state Capitol could make it easier for young veterans to pay for a college education
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Wrap: Most students are required to live in the state for one year before they can get the in-state tuition rate at Missouri's public colleges and universities.

A Senate veterans committee has endorsed a bill allowing veterans to get that in-state rate without waiting for a year.

The bill's sponsor is Representative Charlie Davis, a U.S. Navy veteran. Davis says the federal government is thinking about requiring all states to give veterans in-state tuition.

But Davis says Missouri veterans should get the in-state rate no matter what the federal government does.

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Description: "But I think here in the state of Missouri, we should protect our servicemembers irregardless of what the federal government does."

The veterans' tuition bill now goes to the full Senate.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120. KMOX.

Intro:	A bill moving through the state Capitol could make it easier for young veterans to pay for a college education
RunTime:	0:46
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap:

Most college students are required to live in Missouri for one year before they can pay the state's in-state tuition rate.

A Senate veterans committee has endorsed a bill allowing veterans to get in-state tuition without waiting.

Tom Mundell is with Missouri Veterans of Foreign Wars. He says that veterans need in-state tuition so that they can get an education in addition to the skills they learn while serving.

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Description: "They were all they could be for our country, for our state while they were in the military. It's very important for us to focus on these warriors, these leaders, these highly trained people for our future."

The veterans' tuition bill now goes to the full Senate.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120. KMOX.

Intro:	College student who serve in the Missouri National Guard could get a break on future exams under a bill moving through the state legislature.
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Wrap: The bill would forbid public colleges or universities from making National Guard members take an exam if they have just returned from active duty or a trainin exercise. Guard members would have to be given a day of rest before they sit for an exam.

The bill's sponsor is Representative Charlie Davis, a U.S. Navy veteran. Davis says Guard members come back from assignments too exhausted to do well on a test.

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Description: "You know, we have servicemembers that come back from sometimes a week, two weeks, sometimes they're (coming) from Joplin and they've been down there for a month at a time. They come back the next day and they want them to take a test and they're wore out."

The bill would also make it easier for veterans to get in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. That measure now goes to the full Senate.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120. KMOX.