Lawmakers fight to help special needs children throughout Missouri
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Lawmakers fight to help special needs children throughout Missouri

Date: April 11, 2013
By: Luke Lyddon
State Capitol Bureau
Links: HB 1718 

Intro: 
As session at the Capitol is nearing a close, One Republican Representative says he is fighting to help improve certain children's education.
RunTime:  0:43
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Dwight Scharnhorst's bill "Bryce's Law" was named after his grandson who passed away from complications related to autism, and he says he wants to create a better life for these children.

Scharnhorst says this bill would create a tax credit for individuals who donate to a special needs scholarship organization and would benefit all people involved.

Actuality:  DWIGHT1.WAV
Run Time:  00:09
Description: "I want these children to have a chance for an improved quality of life, so that their family can enjoy their lives in a more comprehensive way."

But Jim Ward a resident from Crystal City, Mo. says that this bill only gives funds for certain individuals to non-public institutions, and that it's better to not specify particular individuals.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Luke Lyddon.

Intro: 
A new leadership committee pushes a new bill that plans to help special needs children throughout the state of Missouri.
RunTime:  0:45
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Republican Representative Dwight Scharnhorst is proposing a bill that would give tax incentives to individuals who donate to a scholarship program for special needs students.

But opponent Jim Ward says that it would be better not to specify individuals with particular disabilities, as it does not affect everyone.

Actuality:  WARD1.WAV
Run Time:  00:12
Description: "So this by nature, isn't something that is going to be accessible to everyone. And that just flies in the face of the constitutional requirement of what free and adequate public education is for everyone."

While Scharnhorst says this bill can only improve the quality of these children's lives, Ward says clarification is needed for a situation where the cost of education exceeds the scholarship amount. 

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Luke Lyddon.