WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 03/14/01

[7-11Budget-County]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=01-13]
[GRAPHIC=none]
The Governor's stand-off with the State Senate is starting to make local governments feel the heat. Last night, Roanoke County supervisors heard from school board members trying to find money for pay raises, and cultural agencies facing lay-offs and other cutbacks. Teresa Hamilton reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The news wasn't good]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./Yesterday; :00]
[SUPER=01-Kay Strickland/Virginia Transportation Museum; :21QUICK!!!!]
[SUPER=01-Beth Poff/Mill Mountain Zoo; :32]
[SUPER=01-Bob Johnson/Hollins Supervisor; :46]
[SUPER=@Teresa2; 1:02]
[RUNS=1:14]
[OUT Q=Hamilton, NEWS 7, Roanoke County.]

((The news wasn't good as the supervisors sat down with members of the school board.
No additional state money for teacher raises...the prospect of a 250- thousand dollar cut.
And it only gets worse. A long line of cultural organizations and social service agencies are also facing an uncertain future.
[SOT]
[IN Q=The museum]
((KAY STRICKLAND/VA. MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION: THE MUSEUM FOR ONE FACES A LOSS OF 48- PERCENT OF ITS BUDGET FROM STATE CUTS. BETH POFF/MILL MOUNTAIN ZOO: AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO SO MUCH OVER THE REQUEST YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU BUT TO ASK YOU TO GIVE YOUR CONSIDERATION TO IT.. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THE SAME CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS.)) [RUNS18]
[OUT Q=]

Earlier in the day, House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith got an earful when he came to brief the supervisors on the General Assembly session...
[SOT]
[IN Q=We've got police officers]
((BOB JOHNSON/HOLLINS SUPERVISOR: WE'VE GOT POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, LIBRARIANS. YOU CAN GO DOWN TO THE SCIENCE MUSEUM AND SEE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE JUST FIRED, LAID OFF BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER.)) [RUNS:18]
[OUT Q=couldn't get your act together.]

The supervisors are still hoping lawmakers will return to Richmond for a special session... and find the budget compromise that has eluded them so far... but they aren't counting on it.
Teresa Hamilton, News 7 Roanoke Co. ))

[7-11L'burg-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=L'burg Seal]

Lynchburg's budget proposal allows for spending without raising taxes.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

City council got its first look at the proposal during a work session yesterday.
[GRAPHIC=]

The 2002 budget calls for a 35 percent hike in spending on the regional jail, money to give city workers a 3 percent raise and better benefits and millions of dollars for school construction projects.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 11:28:58]
[IN Q=This budget at]
((KIMBALL PAYNE/LYNCHBURG CITY MANAGER: THIS BUDGET AT THIS POINT.. AND I'M SURE FEW BUDGETS DO.. WILL NOT PLEASE EVERYONE. DIFFICULT CHOICES WERE MADE TO PRODUCE A BALANCED DOCUMENT WITHIN THE COSTRAINTS OF THE EXISTING RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.))
[SUPER=01-Kimball Payne/Lynchburg City Manager]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=that we have.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Payne says the budget is still a work in progress and cuts could still be made.
A public hearing is set for April 3rd.
(------------)

[45-11State-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=500-16 TC1:58:27]
[GRAPHIC=VA Budget]

Teachers, College faculty and advocates for the mentally ill and disabled took their budget problems to Richmond.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond/Monday]

Governor Jim Gilmore announced his unilateral budget fix Monday -- with NO plans to call lawmakers back to Richmond for a special session.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 09:24:13]
[IN Q=I don't want us to be]
((VAL MARSH/ALLIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL: I DON'T WANT US TO BE BALANCING OUR BUDGETS ON THE BACKS OF DISABLED PEOPLE.))06
[sot 09:09:40 ]
((JEAN BANKOS/VIRGINIA EDUCATION ASSOC.: THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK... IN THE CAPITAL CITY IN RICHMOND.))
[SUPER=01-Val Marsh/Alliance for the Mentally Ill; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jean Bankos/Virginia Education Association; :07]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=the capital city in Richmond.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Senate Finance Committee members of both parties -- who have opposed the speed of the Governor's NO car tax plan -- called in the college presidents yesterday afternoon.
Virginia colleges absorb the bulk of the budget cuts, including the freezing of 215 million dollars of current building and renovation projects.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT tape one 13;27:50]
[IN Q=To this moment, no exemption]
((ALAN MERTEN/GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: TO THIS MOMENT, NO EXEMPTION HAS BEEN GRANTED. PROMISES MADE. PROMISES THAT NEED TO BE KEPT.))
[SUPER=01-Alan Merten/George Mason University President;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=that need to be kept.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Later, Republican House Speaker Vance Wilkins held a closed door summit with the college presidents.
(------------)
[TALENT=Shannon]
[SS=none]

House and Senate leaders say a special legislative session that could address some of the cuts the Governor made- could still happen.

[45-11County-Supers]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-05 TC1:06:58]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Officials in Roanoke County are hoping to quickly address residents' concerns about the controversy concerning fire and rescue employees.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

The county's newest fire and rescue recruits are part of a regional class that will graduate from training on Friday.
County officials acknowledge that 20 new positions divided among six stations will not solve all of the county's staffing problems, but they defend the plan as a "fair and equitable" first step.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 36:18]
[IN Q=I understand the frustration]
((I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION. I CERTAINLY DO. WE DO HAVE TO SEE THE EFFECT OF THE PERSONNEL WE'RE GOING TO DEPLOY. HOPEFULLY WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE RESOURCES VERY QUICKLY AND IN A MATTER OF MONTHS IMPROVE THE SERVICE ONE AGAIN.))
[SUPER=01-Dan O'Donnell/Assistant County Administrator]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=improve the service once again.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Some residents are urging the supervisors to move quickly on the second phase of the county's staffing plan. That would bring new paid manpower to stations in Mount Pleasant and Bent Mountain.
(-------------)

[8-6Norment]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=01-11 TC22:12]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

The leader of Virginia's Senate floor is back to work, despite his drunk driving conviction.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]

Williamsburg Republican Tommy Norment headed right back to Senate business yesterday, after pleading GUILTY to driving under the influence during the General Assembly session in January.
Norment is the sponsor of the "point-0-8" blood alcohol limit in Virginia.
He says he will continue to sponsor drunk driving legislation.
(------------)
[TALENT=Keith]
[SS=Legal Scales]

Senator Norment paid a 350 dollar fine in Henrico County.
He had a 30 day jail sentence suspended, and can only drive to and from work or the State Capitol for the next year.

[8-11Budget-County]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=mornin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=01-13]
[GRAPHIC=none]

The budget impasse between Governor Gilmore and the State Senate is creating financial woes on a local level. Last night, Roanoke County supervisors heard from school board members asking for money for teacher pay raises, among other items. Teresa Hamilton reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The news wasn't good]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./Yesterday; :00]
[SUPER=01-Kay Strickland/Virginia Transportation Museum; :21QUICK!!!!]
[SUPER=01-Beth Poff/Mill Mountain Zoo; :32]
[SUPER=01-Bob Johnson/Hollins Supervisor; :46]
[SUPER=@Teresa2; 1:02]
[RUNS=1:14]
[OUT Q=Hamilton, NEWS 7, Roanoke County.]

((The news wasn't good as the supervisors sat down with members of the school board.
No additional state money for teacher raises...the prospect of a 250- thousand dollar cut.
And it only gets worse. A long line of cultural organizations and social service agencies are also facing an uncertain future.
[SOT]
[IN Q=The museum]
((KAY STRICKLAND/VA. MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION: THE MUSEUM FOR ONE FACES A LOSS OF 48- PERCENT OF ITS BUDGET FROM STATE CUTS. BETH POFF/MILL MOUNTAIN ZOO: AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO SO MUCH OVER THE REQUEST YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU BUT TO ASK YOU TO GIVE YOUR CONSIDERATION TO IT.. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THE SAME CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS.)) [RUNS18]
[OUT Q=]

Earlier in the day, House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith got an earful when he came to brief the supervisors on the General Assembly session...
[SOT]
[IN Q=We've got police officers]
((BOB JOHNSON/HOLLINS SUPERVISOR: WE'VE GOT POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, LIBRARIANS. YOU CAN GO DOWN TO THE SCIENCE MUSEUM AND SEE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE JUST FIRED, LAID OFF BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER.)) [RUNS:18]
[OUT Q=couldn't get your act together.]

The supervisors are still hoping lawmakers will return to Richmond for a special session... and find the budget compromise that has eluded them so far... but they aren't counting on it.
Teresa Hamilton, News 7 Roanoke Co. ))