Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 19, 1991                   TAG: 9102190099
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Phone solicitations: The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted 11-4 to kill a bill that would have set up a registry of consumers who do not want to receive telephone solicitations.

Murder charges: The House Courts of Justice Committee voted 17-2 to endorse a bill making murder after forcible sodomy a capital offense but killed a bill making serial murders punishable by death.

Guns and children: The House Militia and Police Committee voted 11-4 to endorse a bill making it illegal to recklessly leave a loaded gun where a child could get it.

Drunken driving: The House Courts of Justice Committee killed two drunken-driving bills. One would have lowered the blood alcohol content level for drunkenness from .10 percent to .08 percent and the other would have required administrative revocation of the driver's licenses of drunken drivers.

Departments, councils: The Senate voted 37-1 to approve a bill abolishing the Department for Children, the Department of Volunteerism, the Council on the Status of Women and the Council on Indians.

Cost-benefit analyses: The Senate Finance Committee killed a bill that would have required state agencies to write cost-benefit analyses of how their regulations would affect private-property holders.

Financially pressed localities: The Senate General Laws Committee voted 7-4 to approve a bill that would allow Gov. Douglas Wilder to lift certain state mandates on financially pressed localities.

Tax refunds as aid: The Senate unanimously approved bills that would allow taxpayers to designate part of their tax refunds for helping the elderly or abused women and children.

Court fees for drugs: The Senate voted 24-10 for a bill that would charge a $100 court fee to anyone convicted of a drug felony and $50 to anyone convicted of a drug misdemeanor.

School board elections: An effort by Del. David G. Brickley, D-Prince William, to revive an elected-school-boards bill failed when House Speaker A.L. Philpott ruled Brickley's amendment to a bill dealing with school board terms was improper.

Contractors information limits: The House voted 82-17 to pass a Senate bill limiting the consumer information the Board of Contractors can require residential contractors to give to customers.

Inaugural funds: The House voted 89-9 to reject a Senate amendment to an inaugural fund-reporting bill. A conference committee will decide whether excessfunds can be used for any purpose or whether they must be turned over to the state's General Fund.

General Assembly recess: The House voted 55-43 to reject a Senate amendment reducing from 21 to 10 the number of recess days the General Assembly could take if a proposed constitutional amendment passes.

Depreciation tax delay: The House Finance Committee endorsed a Senate bill delaying for one year implementation of a corporate income tax break on equipment depreciation. The bill will save the state almost $30 million over two years.

College construction bonds: A subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee killed a bill setting a November referendum on selling $465 million in general obligation bonds to pay for college construction projects.