Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 18, 1994 TAG: 9401180230
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ROB EURE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
At a Capitol news conference Monday, House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County outlined a Democratic agenda covering education, crime and drunken driving.
The Democrats say they can find $100 million in the state budget to provide smaller classes in grades K-3 for schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families and to provide additional Head Start programs. Cranwell said legislative leaders have agreed to fund those two initiatives - both pushed by Terry in her campaign - plus a program to improve electronic and technical programs in schools.
Democrats also hope to acquire the anti-crime mantle from Allen with proposals to eliminate parole for three-time violent offenders, expand the death penalty and further toughen drunken driving laws.
Allen plans a special session of the legislature this spring to study eliminating parole, but Cranwell said the Democrats' plan will save money by making the additional legislative meeting unnecessary.
"National statistics show that about three of every four criminals in state prisons have been involved in some kind of violent crime before," Cranwell said. His bill to eliminate parole for those convicted of three separate violent offenses should "get to the group that is causing violent crime. Why wait?"
Cranwell said Allen's plan to eliminate parole would cost $1 billion - a Democratic estimate disputed by the governor. The Democrats say their proposal for violent criminals would cost far less - about $30 million in the year 2013, because costs would be deferred until the regular sentences of those criminals had run out.
Del. Glenn Croshaw, D-Virginia Beach, will push to broaden the death penalty by making it apply to those convicted of first-degree murder following two previous violent crimes.
Cranwell also will sponsor a drunken driving bill to include:
Reducing the blood-alcohol level at which a person is automatically considered drunk from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent. Allen wants a 0.07 percent standard but has indicated he will accept 0.08 as a move in the right direction.
A six-month drivers' license suspension for anyone under age 21 with a blood alcohol level of 0.02 percent. It is illegal for minors to drink now and drivers' license suspensions are discretionary.
Impounding or immobilizing the car of any person arrested for drunken driving whose license has been suspended because of previous convictions.
On-the-spot revocation of the drivers' license of motorists with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more. That "administrative revocation" plan passed the legislature last year but died in a procedural dispute with then-Gov. Douglas Wilder. Allen opposes the proposal, which some critics say goes too far by allowing the revocation of a license before the driver has gone to court.
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994
by CNB