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

DATE: SATURDAY, February 4, 1995                   TAG: 9502060024
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: JIM SHULER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

COMMITTEES TIME-CONSUMING

Now that we are past the deadline for filing legislation and approaching "cross-over," the majority of my time is spent in committee meetings. The committee meetings provide the opportunity to hear from experts and citizens and they are where the bulk of our work is done. The House of Delegates is required to act on all bills that originate on the House side before "cross-over," when they go to the Senate. Final readings of the House bills must be completed by midnight Tuesday.

On Monday, the House Education Committee decided not to endorse the charter school concept. Instead, the committee will probably choose to recommend a one-year, or longer, pilot program in selected regions to further study and evaluate the charter school budget. I think this is a prudent approach.

Again this year welfare reform continues to be top priority. Last year, we passed a comprehensive welfare reform plan based on the recommendations of the two-year study by the Beyer Welfare Reform Commission. The present administration is working to refine and expand the findings. The key to welfare reform is job creation, jobs that encompass adequate pay, health care and child care at or above the present level of combined federal/state welfare assistance. A second major component is enhanced support for social service agencies. Presently, social services are understaffed, underpaid and overwhelmed with welfare case work.

Contrary to wide-spread belief, most welfare recipients (70 percent) do not abuse, or want, support at taxpayer expense. The remaining 30 percent are the experts exploiting the welfare system and this abuse must be stopped. It is my fervent hope that the continuation of legislation initiatives this year will further support those seeking gainful employment and at the same time eliminate the incentive to remain on welfare.

Realizing the essential role of social service agencies, I have co-sponsored a budget amendment to reinstate previously appropriated funds that the present administration chose to eliminate.

Thursday we approved a bill that will end the monopoly over local telephone service in Virginia. This legislation, if approved by the Senate, will bring an end to the 45-year law which prohibits more than one carrier from providing local service in a given territory. For some time, cable companies have wanted the right to deliver phone service to some homes, while the phone companies have wanted to be allowed to provide cable programming. There are also long-distance carriers which would like to compete as local carriers. The compromise reached over the weekend by the state's current local telephone carriers, future competitors, and consumer groups will be reliable and affordable. It also guarantees fair competition between existing and new carriers. This bill has additional potential benefits for Southwest Virginia and other rural areas of the state. The competition will allow companies to provide telephone service and cable programming to areas where it was previously unavailable. Virginia Tech is globally recognized leader of research in telecommunications and stands to gain additional grants. In the long run, our area can expect to see additional opportunities for new jobs on the horizon in wireless and fiber optic telecommunication.

Please feel free to contact me at my legislative office at (804) 786-8425, (800) 786-6310 or P.O. Box 406, Richmond, Va., 23203.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1995

by CNB