Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 17, 1991 TAG: 9102170159
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Lawmakers said this 46-day session has been more hectic than most because they have had to rewrite the state budget to close a $2.2 billion hole caused by the recession. The state's two-year budget is approved in 60-day sessions held in even years. The shorter, odd-year sessions are intended to take care of revisions.
Even if the legislature agrees on a budget by Saturday's scheduled adjournment, they will face the spending plan again in April if Gov. Douglas Wilder carries through on his threat to veto items he opposes.
"The April session is going to be where the action is on the budget," predicted Sen. Dudley Emick, D-Fincastle.
Along with the budget amendments, legislators still have to decide major gun bills.
If tradition is followed, much of what is going on with the budget will be accomplished in secret meetings held by six senior Democratic legislators.
The three delegates and three senators will work out a compromise on their differing versions of budget amendments by midnight Tuesday. In a break from tradition, the assembly agreed last month to move the conferees' deadline up a day so that legislators would have more time to study the budget before they vote on it.
The biggest question on the budget is whether Wilder will get to keep his $200 million reserve fund. In speeches around the country, the governor has touted his creation of the fund last year.
But legislators want to use the reserve to cushion the pain of spending cuts. The Senate budget would slash the reserve to $100 million while the House plan would keep the reserve unless it is needed to avoid state worker furloughs.
Wilder has vowed to veto the budget unless it includes a $200 million reserve with no strings attached.
The next biggest showdown in the assembly's last week may be over gun issues.
A bill proposed by Sen. Moody Stallings, D-Virginia Beach, that would prohibit adults from recklessly leaving loaded guns in reach of children is before a House committee that meets Monday.
"It's going to be a fight," he said. But Stallings said House members may be willing to support his gun control measure because a bill to allow a referendum on a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases died in the House.
The House approved a bill that would require instant criminal background checks of all gun buyers. The bill is pending in the Senate. Current law restricts the checks to buyers of certain handguns and assault weapons.
The Senate has approved a bill increasing the fee charged gun buyers for the check from $2 to $8, but the House has refused to go along.
by CNB