Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 24, 1994 TAG: 9402240235
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BONNIE V. WINSTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
And after Wednesday's action by the House of Delegates, the boat will remain dry - without booze, that is.
By a 98-0 vote, the House rejected a bill that was crafted to make the boat the only "wet" thing running through the middle of dry Pulaski County.
"The people in Pulaski County are not real big about having liquor by the drink," Republican Del. Tommy Baker, who represents Pulaski, told his House colleagues Wednesday.
"To allow [liquor] through Claytor Lake State Park by having it on a cruise boat around the lake is sending a bad message to families with children who come there to picnic and to tourists on vacation," Baker said.
He asked delegates to kill the bill, which was sponsored by a senator who lives more than 260 miles from the lake.
The senator, Democrat Clarence Holland of Virginia Beach, arrived in the House moments after the bill went down in a hail of laughter and red lights - signaling "no" votes - on the tote board at the front of the chamber.
Even after it was explained to the House by Holland's Virginia Beach colleague, Del. Glenn Croshaw, the bill had little chance of survival once Baker, who represents the area, said it should be killed.
Red lights quickly flashed on the board. After the total passed 50, the avalanche began. Green "Yes" votes began changing to "No." And the total grew.
65.
77.
The chamber erupted in laughter.
Members in one corner began to chant: "More! More!"
86.
90.
Then, House Speaker Thomas Moss, D-Norfolk, one of the last holdouts, switched his vote to "no."
Every light flashed red.
Croshaw was red-faced.
Holland, coming on the scene, laughed and sputtered.
"I can't imagine what happened. It's just gone!" Holland said. "They knew I had no business putting this bill in. I don't even know where Claytor Lake is!"
Holland said he sponsored the bill as a favor to Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville.
"Clancy was on the [Senate] committee" that heard the bill, Marye explained later. "I asked him to handle it because he knows how to do it."
Mayre called booze on the boat "an economic development effort." He said it was supported by "leadership in the county" and was "needed to attract people" to the area.
"I'm not really surprised," Marye said. "But I'm disappointed by the vote. Tommy [Baker] did a good job. And you can tell him so."
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994
by CNB