News in Brief: A State Capitals Roundup

A bill approved by the Wisconsin Senate would ultimately kill the Milwaukee tuition-voucher program, its administrators say.

The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 17-16 earlier this month to cut $23 million for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program as part of a budget-repair bill aimed at closing a $1.1 billion spending gap. The deficit is the largest in Wisconsin history and comes as the state is about to enter the second year of a biennial budget.

The money represents one-third of the program's funding for fiscal 2002, lawmakers said. Individual vouchers would be slashed from $5,784 this year for students in grades K-6 to $2,000 next year and to $3,000...