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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 22, 1994                   TAG: 9402220169
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

ASSEMBLY BILL WON'T GIVE AN INCH TO METRIC SYSTEM

The House voted 88-10 to send Sen. H. Russell Potts' bill to Gov. George Allen.

Potts, R-Winchester, had a much easier time getting his anti-metric bill through the House than through the Senate. A Senate committee earlier in the session voted 7-6 to send the bill to the floor, where it passed 23-15.

A House committee unanimously endorsed the measure, which was approved with no debate Monday.

Del. Bernard Cohen, D-Alexandria, said the proposal is shortsighted.

"We're acting like ostriches, sticking our head in the sand," said Cohen, who voted against the bill.

Metric conversion will come, he said, and Virginia will have to comply or lose federal highway funds.

Potts, however, predicted that other states will go on record opposing a metric mandate, and the federal government will relent. He labeled as "hogwash" opponents' arguments that resistance to the widely used metric system makes Virginia seem backward.

State highway officials told legislative committees that they had no immediate plans to convert signs to the metric system and that losing federal funds is not imminent.

Conversion to metric signs would cost the state about $15 million, Potts said. He said taxpayers don't want their money spent that way.

"They're saying loud and clear, `Prioritize, guys, prioritize,' " Potts said.

Potts has said his bill is mostly designed to "send a message" that Virginians don't want metric measurements forced upon them.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994