BOND BILLS DIE

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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 25, 1992                   TAG: 9202250131
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: STAE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium
BOND BILLS DIE
The Senate and the House of Delegates killed each other's general obligation bond issues Monday, and Gov. Douglas Wilder said he will not propose a compromise bill.
The administration bond bills killed by the House had been passed by the Senate. The House Appropriations Committee endorsed the package after adding about $16 million in projects, bringing the total to about $610 million.
The Senate Finance Committee refused to act on House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell's $1 billion bond issue, killing it on the last day for each chamber to act on the other's appropriations bills.
The governor can propose a bill any time before the legislative session ends, but Wilder spokesman Glenn Davidson said no new bond issue will be proposed.
"I've said on any number of occasions that we were prepared to leave without a bond bill," Wilder said in a statement read by Davidson. "I've also said that if the Legislature in its infinite wisdom chose not to address the critical needs of the commonwealth at this time, I would respect its wishes."
Cranwell's bond proposal was tied to a half-cent increase in the sales tax. Along with college, mental health and parks projects, it included money for transportation and educational disparity.
Wilder had said he would not sign a bond bill tied to a tax increase.
Cranwell insisted Monday that it was important that any bond issue have a funding mechanism to pay the debt. He said revenue is projected to grow at a slower rate in the next decade than in the last several years.
He also had political reasons for opposing the bond package.
"If you vote for this, you're abdicating your responsibility to the Senate Finance Committee," Cranwell said. "Senate Finance won't even meet to vote my bill up or down. If you allow the Senate Finance Committee to dictate to the full floor of this house, you've given up your ability to function as a coequal member of this General Assembly."
Del. John Watkins, R-Chesterfield, agreed. "We're being patronized by Senate Finance," he said. "They expect this house to rubber-stamp everything they send over here."
Del. Robert Harris, R-Fairfax, urged the House to put politics aside and vote for the bill to meet college construction needs.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB