News in Brief: A State Capitals Roundup

Texas lawmakers have agreed on a health-insurance program for school employees, achieving what teachers' groups and legislative leaders alike called their top education priority for this year's session of the legislature.

Initially, the plan would focus mainly on easing the woes of small school districts looking for affordable insurance, while providing some insurance help to every school system and every system employee. The cost is estimated at $1.2 billion in 2002-03, the first year of the program.

In that year, the smallest districts would be required to join a statewide plan, with larger districts given the choice of joining...