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

DATE: THURSDAY, February 20, 1992                   TAG: 9202200336
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

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SENATE OKS BOND PACKAGE

The Senate unanimously approved a $594 million bond package Wednesday for construction projects at colleges, parks and mental hospitals.

The vote places the Senate on a collision course with the House of Delegates, which has passed a vastly different $1 billion bond package that also includes transportation projects. Under the House plan, the borrowing would not take place unless voters approved a half cent increase in the sales tax in a July 14 referendum.

The Senate general obligation bond package would have to be approved in a Nov. 3 referendum.

The House and Senate have until the end of the session March 7 to work out a compromise.

Gov. Douglas Wilder has said a general obligation bond package would help pull Virginia out of recession by creating jobs.

House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, pulled together a coalition of urban and rural legislators to support his $1 billion bond issue. Urban lawmakers liked the inclusion of road projects and rural delegates were happy with his promise that some of the sales tax increase would go for easing school funding disparities.

The Senate adopted the bond package preferred by Wilder, who has called Cranwell's package "fiscally irresponsible."

Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Springfield, tried to amend the Senate bond bills so they conformed to Cranwell's package. But the Senate never got a chance to vote on the amendment because Lt. Gov. Donald Beyer ruled it was not germane.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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