BOND BILLS KILLED POWER STRUGGLE BRINGS DEADLOCK

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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 25, 1992                   TAG: 9202250234
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Rob Eure Staff writer
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium
BOND BILLS KILLED POWER STRUGGLE BRINGS DEADLOCK
A power struggle between two senior legislators over a massive state building program ended in the death Monday of two competing plans to borrow up to $1 billion.
House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Vinton and his counterpart in the Senate, Hunter Andrews of Hampton, deadlocked over the size of proposed bond issue, what would be built and how the debt would be repaid.
The result left the legislature with no bond package, even though some sort of debt-financed construction had nearly unanimous backing, including support from Gov. Douglas Wilder.
"We'll leave here with no bonds at all unless one of 'em blinks," said Del. Alson Smith, D-Winchester. Smith and Andrews carried Wilder's proposal, asking Senate endorses plan to deregulate credit card industry. B3 for nearly $600 million in bonds to build college, park and mental health facilities.
The Wilder package passed the Senate unanimously, but was defeated in successive votes on the House floor Monday. The key vote was a 42-57 tally against a program for new college and university buildings.
Meanwhile, Andrews pocketed Cranwell's larger bond package in the Senate Finance Committee, letting it die as the deadline for action passed Monday. Cranwell had added another $500 million in debt to finance road building and would have used a 1/2-cent increase in the state sales tax to finance the package and provide an additional $100 million in aid to poor school districts. Wilder said he will veto any bond measure with a tax increase attached.
All the bond proposals would have required voter approval.
Cranwell said Monday he believes there is still a chance for the Assembly to pass a bond package before its March 7 adjournment.
But few options are available. A Wilder spokesman said Monday the governor has no plans to offer an alternative package. Cranwell may try to introduce a new bond proposal, but would need unanimous consent from the House to do it now.
All the principals agreed Monday that the session likely will end without a bond package.
Wilder has called for a news conference this morning when he is expected to blast the legislature for allowing personalities to derail the bond package.
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by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB