Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 12, 1991 TAG: 9102120427
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Meanwhile, a House of Delegates committee postponed for one week action on a bill making it a crime to recklessly leave a loaded gun in reach of a child under age 15.
"Jet skis are a lot of fun and are very dangerous," said Del. Howard Copeland, D-Norfolk and the bill's sponsor. Since July 1, three people have been killed in jet ski accidents in Virginia, he said. Jet skis are popular for recreation use on Smith Mountain Lake.
Sen. Clive DuVal, D-McLean, tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill to raise the minimum age for operating jet skis from 14 to 16.
"It's an awfully weak bill," DuVal said.
The committee did amend the bill to have it take effect this spring rather than July 1 and to ban jet ski use after sunset and before sunrise.
Sen. Moody Stallings, D-Virginia Beach, was not happy with the Militia and Police Committee's decision to put off the vote on the gun bill until all 15 members could be present.
"Somebody's counting votes on me," Stallings said.
However, Stallings told reporters after the meeting that he believes he has just enough support to get the bill out of committee.
A similar measure died in conference committee on the last day of the 1990 legislative session.
Stallings told the Militia and Police Committee that in the first seven months of last year, 11 Virginia children were accidentally shot to death. He said that in 1989, 194 children under age 18 were treated for accidental gunshot wounds in Virginia hospitals.
Under Stallings' bill, a person who recklessly leaves a gun within reach of a child under age 15 could be sentenced to a year in jail. But Stallings said punishing violators was not the primary aim of his bill.
"I'm not interested in putting people in jail," he said. "I'm interested in people locking up their guns. That's not a big burden on gun owners."
Charles Cunningham, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, told the committee that the bill unfairly targets firearms while not addressing other dangerous items like household chemicals, matches and kitchen knives.
Meanwhile, budget maneuvering continued as the House and Senate rejected each others' budget plans, setting up the conference committee that meets in secret each session to work out a budget compromise.
House members selected for the committee are Democratic Dels. Robert Ball of Richmond, Alan Diamonstein of Newport News and Earl Dickinson of Louisa County.
Senate conferees have not been selected. Last year they were Democrats Hunter Andrews of Hampton, Howard Anderson of Halifax County and Stanley Walker of Norfolk. Walker, however, has missed most of this year's session because of heart surgery and DuVal is in line to take his place.
Republican legislators, meanwhile, promised to support Gov. Douglas Wilder if he vetoes spending proposals in the compromise budget bill.
Wilder has threatened to veto the bill if it does not include a $200 million reserve fund. The Senate wants to cut the reserve in half while the House voted to keep it intact.
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