any 'why' don't we just provide $100 laptops in the classroom with 'downloadable' courses from various publishers to better educate the kids like other states? besides, TEXTBOOKS depend on cutting down trees, processing tons of paper, marketing, distribution, and then are outdated within a couple of years - UNLESS it's a mathematics book, or history book - all the others change all the time, costing a Fortune that does NOT need to be spent.
There's a better way to educate - and it's ALOT cheaper and encourages learning...it's called a laptop and internet access for everything 'other' than the 3 R's.

Good point Marsha, This bill is a step in that direction, allowing for the first time an all electronic version of the book to be purchased with textbook funds. Other steps will include purchasing of courses and vetted content materials to supplement instruction. My question is: Why does the VEA oppose this bill?

'why' the VEA opposes - probably because they dissapprove of the 'limitless' education one could receive by utilizing their own brain instead of depending on some educrat's opinion of 'what material' is deemed worthy to allow a student to see. Just my guess..I can probably put a sentence together better than most 'MBA's' - because I CHOOSE to educate myself and not buy into the elitist's who "govern education" in this country..

VEA no longer opposes this bill, one of their guys in head office tells me.

Supports the GRTC Position on e-Government - Permits local school boards to enter into contracts with publishers for the purchase of textbooks. The bill expands the definition of textbook to include print, electronic, online, and other manipulatives-based programs.

So has this bill been changed to HB137H1? But where can one find the text of that bill. Doesn't show up on a RS search.

The full text is under the "View Full Text" link. Though the bill number of the text of the bill changes with each amendment, the number under which the legislator tracks the bill stays the same.