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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 21, 1995                   TAG: 9502210084
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

WOODRUM REVIVES GUN-IN-PARKS BAN

Roanoke Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum voted Monday against a General Assembly bill that would relax concealed weapons permits, but he wasn't altogether displeased to see the measure win passage to the full House of Delegates.

That's because Woodrum succeeded in tacking on an amendment that revives legislation that would grant Roanoke City Council the authority to regulate or ban handguns in city parks.

The House Courts of Justice Committee approved the concealed weapons measure 16-6.

Gun-rights advocates are expected to try to strip out the Roanoke provision when the bill comes up for a vote on the House floor this week.

The House already rejected the Roanoke parks proposal when a charter bill fell just short of the required 67 votes. Chances are improved this time because the weapons bill would require only 51 votes.

But Woodrum is taking nothing for granted. "It will be a tough fight," he said.

Sen. Virgil Goode, D-Rocky Mount, said he did not appreciate Woodrum's trying to piggyback a gun-control measure on his gun-rights bill.

"That fight should be another fight," Goode said.

Still, "it sounds like it will work," said Roanoke City Attorney Wilburn Dibling, who proposed the gun ban in parks. "Delegate Woodrum should be commended for his pursuit of the important piece of legislation. He's shown remarkable tenacity,"

City Councilwoman Elizabeth Bowles said she'd prefer that the charter amendment itself had passed.

But "any preventative measure that could be effective is better than none at all," she said.

Staff writer Dan Casey contributed information to this story.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1995

by CNB