A Utah state lawmaker is again trying to buck the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Rep. Margaret Dayton, the Republican who earlier this year introduced a bill seeking a boycott of the law, says she will introduce a new proposal when the legislature begins its 2005 session in January.
Her earlier effort was halted after federal officials threatened to withhold $107 million from the state.
Her new bill will play off a clause in the No Child Left Behind Act that says that the federal government is not authorized to control a state鈥檚 or school district鈥檚 curriculum, or mandate that states 鈥渋ncur any costs not paid for under this act.鈥�
Ms. Dayton鈥檚 bill will propose that Utah do its best to comply with the federal law, but that if it doesn鈥檛 have resources to meet some requirements, it not be penalized by losing federal funds. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to live within the spirit of the law, but we can鈥檛 live within the letter of the law,鈥� she said in an interview. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 afford it.鈥�
