GUN BILLS APPROACH HIGH NOON LEGISLATORS MUST DECIDE THIS WEEK

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

DATE: MONDAY, February 1, 1993                   TAG: 9302010017
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARGARET EDDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium
GUN BILLS APPROACH HIGH NOON LEGISLATORS MUST DECIDE THIS WEEK
Highly publicized gun-control legislation is entering a critical week in the General Assembly, as committees face deadlines to act on dozens of related bills and key negotiators scramble for consensus.
Three major groups have emerged in the battle to limit handgun purchases to one per person per month: Gov. Douglas Wilder and other supporters of the cap; Republicans who would require a police-issued certificate for multiple purchases; and opponents of handgun control.
At present, none of the three claims a legislative majority, leaving the fate of the gun-control push to the assembly's deal makers.
"We'll coalesce or we won't coalesce [this] week, and we need to coalesce," said U.S. Attorney Richard Cullen, a Republican and a key player in the attempt to bridge the gap between Wilder and the GOP caucus.
Geographic and partisan concerns figure in the negotiating.
Rural legislators generally oppose the plan, while urbanites back it. That leaves suburban lawmakers as the critical force; many are saying - at least privately - that they're loath to face voters without having acted to curb gun violence and Virginia's reputation as a supplier of gunrunners.
The situation is particularly delicate for suburbanites among the 43 Republicans in the House and 18 GOP senators. They face at least three concerns: pressure to address the violence, desire to share in any credit, and a need to pacify conservatives in their party.
The GOP solution is a plan to require anyone wanting to buy more than one handgun a month to prove his identity and residency to police.
Cullen has praised that plan, but says the number of purchases per individual should still be capped to prevent gunrunning. Privately, according to sources, he's suggested a cap of three would be acceptable.
Among the critical unanswered questions is whether Wilder also will compromise. Last week, Secretary of Public Safety O. Randolph Rollins seemed to open the door. "We've said we're willing to discuss a limit on the numbers if that appeared to be what it took," he said.
But Wilder's public statements seemed less conciliatory. He can embrace some Republican gun proposals, Wilder said, adding, "this is not one of them."
Some Republicans and conservative Democrats theorize that Wilder would rather lose the one-per-month fight - thereby benefiting from public outrage - than compromise. But administration allies dismiss that notion.
Another critical question is the role of House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton. Cranwell, a master of legislative cat-and-mouse, is laying low, but he is chairman of a key subcommittee that will review the bills tonight.
Cranwell is expected to oppose Wilder's plan if he believes it can be stopped. He has introduced bills enhancing record keeping when guns are sold and prohibiting sales to individuals with newly issued driver's licenses.
Administration supporters think those steps are inadequate. "Something will be done" this session to address Virginia's gun problem, predicted Rollins. "Whether it's sufficient or adequate . . . that's the question."

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB