HOUSTON (AP) _ Gov. Rick Perry proposes that Texas high school-aged students must hit the books if they want to legally hit the road.
At a news conference in Houston on Wednesday, Perry said students should have to prove that they’re enrolled in school and working toward a diploma or GED if they want to get and keep a driver’s license.
Perry says he’ll ask the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Department of Public Safety to determine what’s needed to implement such a program. If legislation is needed, Perry says he’ll work with lawmakers to get it passed.
Perry announced his plan during a campaign stop. He is vying for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the March 2 primary against U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Republican activist Debra Medina.
Hutchison’s campaign dismissed the plan as “typical election-year lip service.”