Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 19, 1995 TAG: 9501190121
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Special state legislation needed for the consolidation plan was introduced last week by Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford.
The bill was forwarded to the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee with an emergency clause that would permit an election to be held on the issue as soon as November.
But state law also requires that the state Commission on Local Government agree to the plan before a referendum can be held.
The commission has six months to study the plan. If it takes the entire six months, that could delay the consolidation referendum until 1996, causing a special election to be held in the spring.
Putney says he isn't sure if the referendum would be delayed, but he hopes that if the legislation proceeds through the assembly quickly, the consolidation question can be posed to voters in November.
Bedford and Bedford County have proposed merging into one city, which would be the largest in Virginia and the fifth-largest in land size in the United States. Bedford would become a shire, a semi-independent governing body similar to a town.
Judgeship is closer
Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Updike may take a step closer to a bench seat this month when the Democratic Caucus meets to nominate candidates for judgeships.
Known for his fiery prosecution and considered a possible candidate for state attorney general in 1997, Updike announced late last year that he would seek the seat of General District Judge James Farmer.
Farmer will retire in June.
Putney says he is ``cautiously optimistic'' that Updike will be nominated by the caucus but adds, ``Down here, you don't count your chickens before they're hatched.''
Updike received nominations for the judgeship from bar associations in Bedford, Nelson and Amherst counties. If the caucus were to choose him, the General Assembly could approve his judgeship as early as the end of this month.
Updike ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic nomination for attorney general in 1993. He was the youngest commonwealth's attorney in the state when he was elected at age 26 in 1979.
Updike is best known for his prosecution of the Jens Soering murder case. Soering, a University of Virginia honor student, and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Haysom, were convicted in 1990 of killing Haysom's parents.
Let legislators know
The General Assembly operates a toll-free hot line on which constituents can leave messages for any legislator.
The number is: (800)889-0229. It's staffed weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Issues watch
The General Assembly handles thousands of bills. Which ones are you most interested in following? Let us know:
Phone: 981-3119; or (800)346-1234, ext. 119.
Fax: 981-3346.
E-mail: dyanceyinfi.net
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1995
by CNB