ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 20, 1996 TAG: 9601220048
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: GENERAL ASSEMBLY NOTEBOOK
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE AND ROBERT LITTLE STAFF WRITERS
National Business College President Frank Longaker is looking for another favor from Del. Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton.
Longaker has asked Cranwell to sponsor legislation making students at Longaker's chain of eight for-profit schools eligible for state tuition assistance grants valued at $1,500 a year. "My students tell me, 'We're taxpayers - why don't we get the TAG grants?'''
The $1.3 million proposal, if introduced by Cranwell, would draw opposition from private, not-for-profit colleges that do not want for-profits cutting into limited TAG resources.
And the request could start a stampede by other for-profit schools looking to make their tuition more competitive.
TAG grants are designed to help in-state students pay for tuition at the state's private colleges. Some 12,300 full-time students get the stipend. Current law forbids TAG grants to students at for-profit schools.
Longaker said his students deserve TAG grants because National Business College is the state's only proprietary school that has a recognized four-year degree program.
Some 900 students would qualify at an annual cost to taxpayers of $1.35 million. The cost would rise to $1.5 million under a plan by Gov. George Allen to increase the grants to $1,700 a year.
Cranwell has not decided whether to introduce the request, Longaker said Friday. Monday is the deadline for new legislation.
Longaker, who ran an unsuccessful independent campaign for the state Senate seat eventually won by Republican Malfourd "Bo" Trumbo of Fincastle in 1991, contributed $3,200 last fall to 10 candidates in Western Virginia, where his campuses are located.
He gave Cranwell $950, more than three times the amount he gave to any other candidate.
Three years ago, Cranwell sponsored a bill that allowed National Business College students to sit for the state certified public accountant examination, even though the school was not accredited by one of the six major groups recognized by the state Accountancy Board.
A bowl bill
State Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville, rose on the floor of the Senate this week urging his colleagues to support a "most important" piece of legislation.
"I'm sure you'll all want to sign it," said Marye, who represents all of Montgomery County.
From a political standpoint, he said, it might be the most important bill of the year. "It certainly ranks up there."
The legislation: A resolution congratulating the Virginia Tech football team.
Regionalism boost
Gov. George Allen hasn't signed on, but two of his Republican predecessors are pushing for creation of a $200 million fund rewarding regional cooperation.
Former Gov. Linwood Holton, a lobbyist for the Urban Partnership, and former Gov. Mills Godwin joined chief executives of major Virginia businesses and a group of mostly urban lawmakers at a press conference launching the legislation this week.
Realists, the governors and their allies are willing to settle for getting a "Regional Competitiveness Act" on the books and a $50 million appropriation for next year, to be increased later.
Among the hopeful signs: close to half of House members have agreed to be co-patrons, and a suburbanite - Sen. Mark Earley, R-Chesapeake - will sponsor the legislation in the Senate.
The urban partnership grew out of talks started more than a year ago by Roanoke Mayor David Bowers and his counterparts in Richmond and Norfolk about what Virginia can do to make its central cities more economically viable.
Later, Roanoke City Manager Bob Herbert and business leaders, led by First Union National Bank of Virginia chairman Warner Dalhouse, were involved in the partnership's start-up.
Cyber-reports
Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Henry County, is pitching his bill requiring lawmakers to file campaign contribution reports by computer as a chance for his colleagues to jump on the information superhighway.
"I'll have it right here at my desk so that everyone can sign on," Armstrong said Friday in a rousing speech on the House of Delegates floor.
Before Armstrong could finish his plea, House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, jumped to his feet, dashed down the aisle and planted his signature on the bill.
"He has less to report now, Mr. Speaker," Armstrong quipped, alluding to Cranwell's decision a day earlier to stop working as a lawyer for the state's most powerful insurance company.
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1996by CNB