Olivia Turner, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Alabama branch, chided Bentley for authorizing the legislation and expressed hope that courts would strike it down.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The legislation authorizing this study widely is expected to sail through the House of Delegates.

FORBES: Yes Virginia, There Is A Constitutional Monetary Unit

The passage of a budget, a law relaxing restrictions on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party and legislation authorizing provincial elections "represent a significant initial step toward political reconciliation, " the Defense Department's latest quarterly report on the nearly five-year-old war concluded.

CNN: Pentagon: Iraq's improvements threatened by corruption