Wilder Drops Repeal of Tax on Drugs To Fund Poor Districts

By Daniel Gursky

Gov. L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia has backed off one of his pet projects in order to help fund an $80-million package of additional aid to school districts in poor communities.

The legislature this month agreed on a two-year, $28-billion budget that includes the extra money to address school-funding disparities.

Mr. Wilder's original budget proposal did not include any added funds for poor schools. But he agreed this month to provide some of the additional money by temporarily delaying a scheduled repeal of the sales tax on nonprescription drugs. The repeal had been a centerpiece of Mr....