Federal News in Brief

After lawmakers had vowed to revive work on a long-stalled immigration-reform bill, debate over a fiercely contested school provision has once again stymied it.

A House-Senate conference committee was scheduled to meet last week to hammer out differences in each chamber's version of HR 2202, but the session was abruptly canceled after several Democrats held a news conference denouncing the bill and its school provision.

At issue is the so-called Gallegly amendment, which would allow states to deny certain illegal-immigrant children a free public education. The House's version of the bill includes the provision; the Senate's does not. ( "Pressure Builds To Nix School Ban for Illegal Immigrants," ...