Legislature 2009: Day 21

• The state Senate has voted to lower the bar for consolidating local government services. As The Associated Press reports, the measure passed Monday "would allow a county with at least 150,000 residents and a major city to opt for metro government with a simple majority rather than the 55 percent of voters now required." It now heads to the House.

• Public Broadcasting talks to one of the "metro government" bill's co-sponsors while covering the Senate vote.

• AP also reports on the Senate's changes to Manchin's school calendar proposal. A subcommittee there opted to pursue the governor's 180-day goal "by requiring counties to finish the first 90 days by Dec. 23 and by allowing schools to schedule classes on days in February, April and June set aside for teacher development," the article said.

• MetroNews also has an item on the amended school calendar bill, with audio.

• Another Manchin education proposal, an "initiative to develop after-school or summer programs for students struggling with basic skills in grades 3 and 8," gets an advance look from the Charleston Daily Mail.

• The Register-Herald of Beckley previews Manchin's proposal to "to expand the use of coal and lower the amount of carbon that escapes into the air," by allowing "permits for such projects, setting regulations to monitor sequestration and clearly identifying just who owns the sites where carbon is stashed."

• The Daily Mail profiles an unusual item on the resume of Delegate Jeff Eldridge, D-Lincoln: "underground fight club."

• Public Broadcasting (with audio and video) notes the surprise of some lawmakers that they previously approved a "fusion center" for coordinating and relaying anti-terrorism intelligence.