Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 17, 1992 TAG: 9202170170
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
LEGISLATURE OFTEN A STUDY IN STUDIES
When in doubt about whether legislation is needed to cure one of Virginia's social ills, the General Assembly often takes the slow but sure route: conduct a study.This year, legislators proposed starting or continuing 226 studies at a cost of about $400,000. The studies range from such weighty issues as fighting poverty to offbeat ones like special parking permits for pregnant women.
And sometimes, it's the unusual ones that generate the most controversy.
For example, freshman Del. Robert McDonnell ran into some unexpected trouble with his proposal to study special parking permits for women in their last trimester of pregnancy. The House approved the study, but not before giving him a rough time.
"I thought it was pretty innocuous," said McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach.
He soon learned otherwise. Del. Leslie Byrne, D-Fairfax, said that as a mother she could attest that being pregnant is no handicap.
A few other female delegates spoke against the resolution, and the House sent the measure to a committee that was not scheduled to meet again before the deadline for each chamber to act on its own legislation.
Republican leaders, in an attempt to take care of one of their freshmen, huddled with their Democratic counterparts and asked for some help. The Democrats agreed, and the committee conducted a quick meeting at the chairman's desk to endorse the resolution. The measure passed the following day with little debate.
Looking back, McDonnell believes Democrats gave him a hard time over the resolution just to remind the GOP which political party is in charge. Democrats hold 58 seats in the 100-member House.
McDonnell noted that it wasn't a men vs. women issue. Four of the co-patrons of his bill were women.
He added, "I certainly haven't heard any pregnant women say it's a bad idea."
The Senate Rules Committee thought it saw a bad idea, however, in Sen. Madison Marye's proposal to study whether there are too many lawyers. Study resolutions generally don't encounter much opposition, but Marye's was promptly shot down.
"It was just kind of laughed at," said Marye, D-Shawsville.
But he said he was quite serious.
"The number of lawyers is gaining much faster than the general population of Virginia," he said. "The classes graduating now are having difficulty finding work."
Marye's resolution would have directed the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary and George Mason University to study the supply and demand for lawyers.
In addition to ordering state agencies or institutions to conduct studies, the General Assembly frequently forms legislative subcommittees to examine issues. McDonnell's study on special parking permits started as a joint subcommittee study, for example, but was transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicles so the state would not have to pay lawmakers' per diem expenses.
Like McDonnell and Marye, Del. William Robinson, D-Norfolk, ran into trouble with a study resolution. Robinson's resolution called for a study of urban police violence, but some delegates objected to language that they said made it sound like Virginia police are routinely beating up people.
Robinson had to ask for a delay in voting on his resolution so he could change the wording. The resolution was passed the next day.
Most studies, however, are endorsed with little controversy. Among the studies being proposed this session are:
Financial incentives to promote school attendance of children of families on public assistance.
Problems of children with incarcerated parents.
The effectiveness of the Family Life Education program.
Mandatory neutering or spaying of pets.