Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 16, 1994 TAG: 9402160079
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: From Associated Press and staff reports
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
"We have the opportunity in Virginia to be on the vanguard of some real reform," said Sen. Mark Earley, R-Chesapeake.
Under each pilot program, a few thousand poor families would receive job training, child care, transportation and health care in exchange for a two-year limit on welfare benefits. Participants would seek private-sector jobs but would be given public jobs if necessary.
A welfare mother would not receive extra benefits if she had another child while in the program. A Senate amendment to remove the child cap failed 29-10.
Sen. Joseph Gartlan Jr., D-Fairfax County, said the cap would hurt poor children while saving the state "peanuts."
"This cap brings shame on us," Gartlan said.
The Senate approved an amendment by Sen. Virgil Goode, D-Rocky Mount, to allow localities to decline to offer public jobs for the program.
The bills passed Tuesday grew out of a two-year study led by Lt. Gov. Don Beyer. Allen campaigned for governor last year on a welfare-reform platform, however, leading to jockeying between the new Republican governor and Democrat Beyer over which party will be most identified with the reforms.
The House and Senate still must work out differences over how many people would be covered and how long the pilot program would last. The Senate bill covers 10,000 families over two years; the House version, 9,000 in three years.
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.