NATCHEZ &045; A bill he has introduced for the past four or five years finally is in the spotlight, said state Sen. Bob M. Dearing, D-Natchez.

Dearing said Tuesday he has received calls from many news outlets, including talk radio shows, for comments about a bill that would eliminate out-of-state tuition for students from within a 50-mile radius in adjoining states.

&uot;Now the universities are interested,&uot; Dearing said.

In talks with Alice Harden, D-Jackson, chairman of the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee, she has expressed interest in amending the bill to include universities but on an optional basis.

&uot;I asked that if she does amend the bill, she also puts in it that students will have to maintain a 2.5 average,&uot; Dearing said.

The bill could have an impact on Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez in allowing Concordia Parish students to attend with no out-of-state tuition, Dearing said.

In fact, he has received requests for this relief from Natchez constituents who have young relatives who are potential students in nearby Louisiana, he said.

&uot;It also would help the Alcorn (State University) nursing program and the MBA program in Natchez,&uot; he said.