State Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, has introduced a pair of bills worth serious consideration in the February session. One would make members of the Oregon National Guard eligible for tuition assistance to go to college. A second would allow homeschooled or charter-school students to participate freely in public school extracurriculars.

House Bill 4035 requires the state to provide tuition assistance for qualified members of the Oregon National Guard to attend community colleges or public universities. State Rep. Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, is also a chief sponsor of the bill.

McLane says Oregon is the only state in the country that does not offer any tuition assistance for members of the National Guard. They deserve it, he says, because they made the decision to serve and protect the state.

The bill’s language would have the state pay for 100 percent of the cost of tuition. That does not include books, food or housing. It’s important for the Legislature to consider why Oregon does not offer this assistance and estimate the potential costs and benefits.

House Bill 4036 requires school districts to allow homeschooled students and students who attend public charter schools to participate in interscholastic activities. There is also a provision for charter schools to pay the public schools a fee. Whisnant is a co-sponsor of this bill.

The bill would open up a world of athletic, music and other activities that homeschooled or charter-school students may not otherwise be able to enjoy. They should be entitled to participate just as students do in the public schools.

Of course, there may be complications identified when the Legislature holds hearings on this bill and HB 4035, but the concepts make sense.