House speaker says PCs should replace textbooks

"We live in a world now where the PC should replace textbooks," Gingrich told delegates to the 24th annual National Conference of State Legislatures.

Gingrich, speaking via a satellite TV hookup from Washington, D.C., said young students should be given personal computers that they can take home.

Gingrich said the government should also remove obstacles before Internet entrepreneurs to allow the growth of electronic commerce.

"Turn every department and school in your state into a Department of Public Entrepreneurship," he said. "Take all the bureaucracy and traditional government programs and put them in the history department.

"Let's turn out people who are public entrepreneurs who can lead us into the information age," he said.

Gingrich pointed out the House on Wednesday passed legislation that would limit lawsuits against Internet entrepreneurs.

Gingrich cited the state of Arizona as an example of government finding it could make money off the Internet.

The state allows residents to buy their license plates over the Internet. Not only does the change reduce the need for staff, but Gingrich said many buyers create their own vanity plates.

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