Seeking to stop the production of methamphetamine, a group of Republican senators and Attorney General Tom Corbett on Wednesday announced a legislative package to address a growing drug problem in Pennsylvania.

The seven bills, known as the "Pennsylvania Combat Meth Initiative," will make it more difficult to obtain the ingredients needed to make methamphetamine, add new protections for children and clean up the environmental damage caused by meth labs.

Among those attending the news conference was state Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th.Robbins said methamphetamine production is a serious problem in rural areas, but its popularity is spreading because most of the ingredients used to make it can be bought in stores. The drug is "cooked" in homemade labs and is highly addictive and deadly.One of the bills he is sponsoring, Senate Bill 1121, creates "Meth Watch." This is a cooperative program between the attorney general's office and retailers to educate and to provide warnings regarding methamphetamine and the common ingredients used to make it."It will take cooperation and education to turn the tide," Robbins said. "Just as the drug robs users of their health, the presence of meth in a community robs the community of its health."———The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed an amendment introduced by Rep.

Melissa Hart,R-4th, that would help pregnant women and parents complete their education by encouraging institutions of higher education to offer support services.The language will be included in the College Access and Opportunity Act, legislation approved Thursday by the House."Many students who are pregnant or who already have children are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet while they are trying to finish their education," said Hart. "My amendment will provide services like affordable on-campus child care and maternity coverage in their student health plans so they can concentrate on being good parents and good students."Hart noted the amendment encourages colleges and other educational institutions to support the 4.5 million students nationally who are parents or pregnant.Funding for institutions to provide these services is authorized by the amendment through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Some of the services include:n Assistance in locating and using child care• Maternity coverage in student health care plansn Increasing availability of family housing• Flexible academic scheduling, such as telecommuting programs• Financial aid, especially for women living independently from their parents.———The state Senate on Wednesday approved legislation introduced by Sen.

Don White, R-41st, that would provide tuition credits to spouses and children of Pennsylvania National Guard members who die while on active military duty.Under current law, only the children of members of the Pennsylvania National Guard who are killed or die as a result of injuries received while on state active duty are entitled to a 50 percent tuition credit at all Pennsylvania state-owned colleges or universities or approved trade schools.White's measure would benefit the spouses of deceased National Guard members who are killed while serving on federal or state active duty.The bill would increase the current benefit for children from a 50 percent tuition credit to a 100 percent tuition credit, while creating a 100 percent tuition credit for spouses to attend any state-owned college or university, or approved trade school.The legislation now goes to the state House of Representatives.White is chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.———

Jason Altmire, Democratic candidate in the 4th Congressional District, last week captured the Beaver County Democratic Party endorsement, winning 86 percent of the vote.Altmire is seeking the nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Rep.

Melissa Hart in the fall election.