Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 20, 1995 TAG: 9502200082
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE, ROBERT LITTLE, GREG SCHNEIDER AND BRIAN KELLEY STAFF
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The House of Delegates approved the bill 90-8 Friday, sending it back to the Senate for approval of a few minor amendments.
The bill - sponsored by Sen. Malfourd ``Bo'' Trumbo, R-Fincastle - also expands regulation of the state's three existing fenced preserves.
Fenced preserves like Boar Walla use captive wildlife such as boars, rams and goats to attract trophy hunters.
An Allen spokesperson said Friday that Allen would make a decision about the Trumbo bill after he has had time to review it.
GOP makes hoop history
For Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, it was a rare occasion.
For one thing, he was standing on the floor of the Senate addressing the full chamber - a bit out of character for one of the body's more soft-spoken members.
But he also was talking about victory - completely out of character for Republicans this year.
Of course, he was talking about basketball, not lawmaking.
Republican lawmakers knocked off Democrats, 38-31, to claim the first GOP victory in the history of the annual legislative hoops contest.
``It might prove to be our biggest victory,'' Bell said Friday.
Nothing seemed to help the Democrats, not even a starting five that included four Southwestern lawmakers: Sen. Jack ``3-Point'' Reasor of Bluefield; Del. Thomas ``Top Gun'' Jackson of Hillsville; Del. Jackie ``Widebody'' Stump of Buchanan County; and Del. Clarence Bud ``Lite'' Phillips of St. Paul.
Democrats' hopes were crushed when Jackson, a former standout at Hampden-Sydney College, twisted an ankle late in the first half.
Bell saw limited playing time but grabbed a key rebound late in the fourth quarter.
Basking in victory, Bell reflected on a similar game several weeks ago, when a team of Republican and Democratic lawmakers toppled a team of lobbyists.
``That might've been the only true, nonpartisan endeavor that was successful this year,'' he said.
Present and accounted for
Last Monday, Sen. Virgil Goode took advantage of a slow afternoon to earn a few hours' credit for continuing legal education for lawyers.
The course involved sitting in an empty meeting room and watching a videotaped presentation on various legal updates.
The Rocky Mount Democrat slipped into a seat in the back row. When a reporter stuck his head in, Goode had his eyes closed and appeared to have drifted to sleep.
Luckily for Goode, there is no requirement that lawyers stay awake during the course; they simply have to certify that they attended.
A second chance
Occasionally, members of the legislature are civil to one another, even when they are at polar opposites on an issue.
If there is a bill that contains the ``A'' word - abortion - or even related words such as ``clinic'' or ``fetus,'' Del. Robert Marshall, R-Manassas, is going to weigh in.
Marshall is a national anti-abortion lobbyist and single-minded floor debater. Naturally, when Del. Clifton ``Chip'' Woodrum's clinic access bill came back up before the House on Friday, Marshall had to speak.
The Roanoke Democrat's bill, which toughens penalties for anyone who obstructs access to an abortion clinic more than once, had already passed both chambers of the legislature, but with a minor change made in the Senate. Before the House could approve the change, Marshall grilled Woodrum about the details.
The Senate had changed the word ``near'' to ``adjacent,'' restricting the zone in which the bill will have effect. Marshall pressed Woodrum for a definition of the new word. Woodrum quoted from the dictionary.
Marshall wanted to know if it would still be OK to hand out pamphlets two doors down from an abortion clinic, and Woodrum said it would.
Finally, after some huffing from lawmakers eager to bring Friday to a close, the House voted overwhelmingly to accept the change to Woodrum's bill.
But Marshall was listed as not voting.
``Mr. Speaker,'' the Republican complained, ``I pressed the red button here [for `No'], but it didn't show up on the screen.''
House Speaker Thomas Moss of Norfolk, who makes no secret of his impatience with Marshall, shot right back:
``The Lord acts in wondrous ways.''
Because the vote already had been recorded, Marshall apparently had been shut out of his pet issue. But Woodrum stood and asked to reconsider the vote, so that Marshall could record his ``No.''
``The gentleman from Prince William will find,'' Woodrum added, ``that I have removed the spell from his button.''
Leader undercover
Time was when salty reporters and even saltier politicians bellied up to the same bars to hash out the day's events.
But times have changed. Reporters aren't any more low-salt, but the politicians are wiser. They know if they're seen having a little too much of a good time, one way or another it could become news.
That's why a certain House majority leader from Roanoke County appears to be using a nom de bar, at least in Richmond.
Earlier this month, the elites of the capital's press corps gathered at a watering hole in Richmond's trendy Shockoe Bottom to celebrate the 40th birthday of former Roanoke television reporter Richard Real.
Real, who left WDBJ (Channel 7) last fall, is covering the General Assembly for a Richmond station and said he's doing well. His party was a success; guests included Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, who didn't drink or loosen his tie but did make friendly conversation.
And then there was the bespectacled Democratic delegate from Vinton. He looked an awful lot like Richard Cranwell, in fact, in a dark sweater and black jeans.
But when approached, he stuck his hand out and introduced himself with: ``Hi, Chip Woodrum.''
Pollution confessions backed
Most members of the Southwest delegation favored the most controversial environmental bill to come before the assembly this year.
The measure will give amnesty to companies that voluntarily confess about pollution that otherwise would not be disclosed through reports required by the state.
Industries say they need the protection so they can assess their operations without fear that the information will be used against them. Environmentalists support the concept, but say the bill is so broad that it will forgive too many environmental sins.
The House and Senate approved the bill and sent it to Allen for his approval.
Democrats voting yes: Sens. Goode, Reasor, Schewel; Dels. Armstrong, Jackson, Johnson, Reynolds, Thomas and Woodrum.
Republicans voting yes: Sens. Bell, Trumbo, Wampler; Dels. Baker, Dudley, Griffith, Kidd, Kilgore.
Independent voting yes: Putney.
Democrats voting no: Sen. Marye; Dels. Cranwell, Deeds, Phillips, Shuler, Stump.
Republicans voting no: None
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1995
by CNB