Montgomery, AL – A state senator who represents the Baldwin County beaches is having trouble passing a bill to push back the start of school from early August.
Republican Sen. Trip Pittman of Daphne originally proposed starting school no earlier than Aug. 22 and ending before Memorial Day. He said the extended summer break would help Alabama beaches recover from the oil spill and create more tax revenue for the state.
Pittman's bill ran into opposition from school leaders, who say it should be a local decision. The senator proposed changing the start date to Aug. 15 for the coming fall and Aug. 20 for the following year. His proposal stalled on a 5-5 vote Wednesday in the Senate Finance and Taxation-Education Committee. Pittman said he will keep pursuing the issue.
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