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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 12, 1995                   TAG: 9503130073
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GOODLATTE IMMERSED IN CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATION

He urged the House Resources Committee to pass a bill that would freeze the boundaries of the Shenandoah National Park, a measure supported by many landowners near the park but opposed by the National Park Service.

He went before the House Transportation Committee to lobby for a Roanoke route for proposed Interstate 73.

And he tacked on four amendments to the GOP-sponsored reworking of the food stamp program as it passed through the House Agriculture Committee in a marathon 14-hour session.

Goodlatte's amendments were aimed at cracking down on fraud and abuse. ``For too long, American taxpayers have been taken to the cleaners by dishonest people who abuse the food stamp system to make money for themselves,'' he said.

His amendments would:

Permanently disqualify from food stamps anyone convicted of trafficking more than $500 in food stamps.

Automatically disqualify any retailer who has been disqualified from the Women, Infants and Children program.

Require that the Agriculture Department inspect any store applying to accept food stamps to make sure ``the retailer actually exists.'' Goodlatte said there have been ``many recorded cases where individuals have registered P.O. boxes and even the trunk of a car as retail stores that accept food stamps. This allows these sham retailers to turn in food stamps for dollars.''

His final amendment was a resolution advising states that are setting up computer systems to dole out ``food stamp cards'' that they should make those systems compatible.

The bill now goes to the full House.