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

DATE: FRIDAY, December 2, 1994                   TAG: 9412020085
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                 LENGTH: Short

GET TOUGH ON STATE AGENCIES, SENATOR SAYS

The co-chairman of a commission studying the possible sale of surplus state property says members should be ``fairly testy'' when dealing with agencies reluctant to let go of their real estate.

Sen. Walter Stosch, R-Henrico, made the comment Wednesday as the Governor's Commission on Conversion of State-Owned Property met to establish procedures for evaluating agencies' surplus or underutilized property.

``We have to ask the hard questions about their plans for future use,'' Stosch said.

Commission member Shep Davis agreed.

``I don't care about controversies with the agencies,'' he said. ``The agencies have proven over the last 20 years that they don't want to sell anything.''

Gov. George Allen wants to use money from property sales to help pay for a $2.2 billion prison-building program that was approved when the General Assembly abolished parole in September.

by CNB