As I said when I successfully sponsored a similar bill in the NE Assembly 3 years ago:
I think this is good way of rewarding our brightest students. We focus a great deal on bringing up the bottom, yet we suffer for not providing enough resources for the best and brightest, those with the potential to add to our region.
I feel the justification given then and there is just as pertinent and cogent here and now. Credit must be given to Barnes for the text here, which he contributed to through a number of amendments.
