By ALISON GLASS
Anderson Independent-Mail
March 7, 2005

State Rep. Ronnie Townsend will speak in Anderson on Thursday about a tuition tax credit plan now moving through the South Carolina House of Representatives.

The Anderson-based group Alliance for Local Leadership, the Anderson County Ministerial Organization and the Anderson Area Ministerial Alliance will sponsor the meeting.

Rep. Townsend, R-Anderson, has spoken at several gatherings, in the county and elsewhere, about the tuition tax credit plan. He has said he would like more information about some aspects of the plan and its possible effects.

He will answer questions from community members at the event Thursday.

"We see this as an educational issue with broad implications for other areas," said the Rev. George West, who is associated with the groups sponsoring the event Thursday.

Rep. Townsend is the head of the South Carolina House of Representatives education and public works committee. The tax credit plan has been assigned to the House ways and means committee.

Another Anderson forum about the proposal attracted roughly 250 people. South Carolina Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum and South Carolina Board of Education member Kristin Maguire presented opposing views about the plan.

Alison Glass can be reached at (864) 260-1275 or by e-mail at glassag@IndependentMail.com.

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