Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 5, 1991 TAG: 9102050549
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Legislators acted on hundreds of bills Monday, the last day for each chamber to act on its own measures.
The lottery bill, which would allow the state to spend lottery money the same year it is collected, needed 80 votes for passage because it contained an emergency clause. Republicans voted against the measure, and it failed 61-38.
Supporters of the bill managed to get it reconsidered. An amendment was added to remove the emergency clause, and the bill passed 73-27.
The House also voted 93-5 to pass a bill increasing the state's take of lottery revenues from 35 percent to 40 percent. The first $40 million of the additional funds would be distributed to localities, and the state would keep the rest.
After a spirited hour-long debate, the House of Delegates voted 55-42 to kill a bill that would allow voters to decide on a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases.
House Democrats had to scramble to correct an oversight on a bill setting legislative salaries. Despite a pledge by the 59-member Democratic Caucus to take a 2 percent pay cut, the House voted 95-1 to pass a bill keeping legislators' annual salary at $18,000.
After the Democrats realized what had happened, they had the bill sent back to the Appropriations Committee to be corrected.
Meanwhile, the Senate passed two bills that would toughen drunken driving laws and killed a bill to raise the maximum speed limit for trucks to 65 mph.
The Senate voted 28-10 to lower the blood alcohol content required for a drunken driving conviction from .10 to .08. Sen. Robert Scott, D-Newport News, said the .08 level would result from a 160-lb. person having more than five drinks over two hours.
The Senate voted 25-13 for a bill requiring that a motorist stopped for drunken driving have his or her driver's license revoked for up to 90 days through an administrative procedure.
A bill that would raise the speed limits for trucks on rural interstates from 55 mph to 65 mph was rejected 23-14. Cars are allowed to drive 65 mph.
In a budget-cutting effort, an early retirement program for state workers, was approved 37-1.
The Senate endorsed 34-2 a proposed constitutional amendment that would set up a permanent reserve fund in the state budget. The proposal must be approved by the voters in a referendum.
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
by CNB