THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 5, 1995 TAG: 9502030249
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Reed
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Now that the current session of the General Assembly is wheezing to a close, some interesting trends are developing.
Of particular interest is Gov. George F. Allen's tax-cutting agenda, which is looking deader than a salted mackerel.
The Democratic majority, with the apparent support of three former state governors - two of them Republican - is about to dump Allen's plans to reduce state government spending.
Allen was banking on the ``chicken'' factor to kick in among majority party members when it came time to vote to slash state income and business receipt taxes.
In other words, the governor believed Democrats would cave in and sanction his agenda, fearing voters would turn them out of office in the next election, if they chose not to. It would be, he figured, tantamount to wearing a ``kick me'' sign on their backs.
But something weird happened on the way to the governor's budget guillotine. Alarmed state educators cranked up their potent lobbying machine against Allen's proposals, especially those aimed at state colleges and universities.
They enlisted the support of former governors Mills E. Godwin Jr. and Linwood Holton (both Republicans) and Gerald L. Baliles (a Democrat) who wagged admonishing fingers from the sidelines. Now Allen's plans are floating somewhere in legislative limbo, like a burned out COMSAT satellite.
Allen is still banking on hostile voter reaction next fall to turn his opponents out of office.
Another apparent victim of the capricious legislative process is riverboat gambling, which has been bottled up in the Senate General Laws Committee. The committee voted Wednesday not to allow a statewide referendum on the issue.
That means it's dead for this session of the General Assembly unless, by some procedural miracle, it could be resuscitated.
Del. Jerrauld C. Jones, D-Norfolk, who sponsored the House version of the bill, hasn't given up on it yet, but veteran General Assembly watchers think it's as lifeless as Custer's corpse.
Virginia Beach backers of riverboat gambling, especially those in the resort hotel and motel industry, will have to wait a year to push for the bill.
Another matter hanging by a thread in the legislature is the proposed reapportionment of voting districts in Virginia Beach, a matter near and dear to the hearts of city civic league leaders like Maury Jackson.
A week ago the House of Delegates approved proposed changes in the way Virginia Beach elects its City Council members.
But the plan now must go to the Senate, where it faces formidable opposition in the form of Republican Kenneth D. Stolle and Democrat Clarence A. Holland, both of Virginia Beach.
The plan would change the city's at-large voting system by creating seven equally populated election districts. Voters in each district would elect their own council member. They also would vote on three additional at-large members plus the mayor.
The arrangement would effectively reduce each city voter's ballot choices by six. They could only vote for five of the 11 members of council, while they can vote now for all 11. This is the chief sticking point for opponents.
Jackson, who helped ramrod the proposed district changes to its present state, fears the end is near. He is trying to spur citizen support for the cause when it comes before the Senate Committee on Local Government on Tuesday.
He cited work by leaders of the Council of Civic Organizations in gathering 28,000 signatures last year on a petition to change the city's election system. He also cited the fact that Virginia Beach voters decided last May 3 by a 21,108 to 18,922 margin to change the system.
But opponents like Dels. Glenn R. Croshaw and Harry R. Purkey of Virginia Beach, maintain that the at-large system is doing just fine. ``If ain't broke,'' said Croshaw, ``don't fix it.'' by CNB