ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 12, 1996 TAG: 9603120104
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Legislative Journal
When area legislators wrote their journals for this week, they said they expected to be in their home offices by Monday morning.
In the end, they were probably about 12 hours late.
Legislators met throughout the weekend trying to reach a compromise over the state budget. They ended their stalemate Sunday night, and after some final votes, planned to close the session Monday afternoon.
They will reconvene April 17.
Del. Jim Shuler, D-Blacksburg, says three issues stand out in this General Assembly session: education, juvenile justice and health care.
"For the first time this decade, we have actually added money to both K-12 education and higher education," Shuler said. During the recession, cuts in state revenues caused cuts in all state agencies. Two years ago, some funds were restored, but all of the new money went to criminal justice. "This year we were able to actually increase funding for all areas of education and a $228.9 million increase in higher education."
The coming years should see reduced class sizes in elementary schools and expanding technology in the classroom.
Shuler said the juvenile justice legislation "strikes a good balance between punishment for violent juveniles and earlier, direct intervention in preventing increased juvenile crime."
This legislation requires adult trials for juveniles accused of violent crimes. "The General Assembly has given the courts additional tools to provide meaningful intervention and rehabilitation efforts. Included in this reform are increased efforts to combat truancy."
Del. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, says this year there was more support for his bill that would create a separate class six felony for seriously injuring a person while driving while intoxicated. The bill was carried over for the 1997 session.
"`Carrying over' can be a veiled way to kill a bill," Griffith said. But the committee seemed genuinely interested in making this bill more comprehensive, he added.
At the request of several federal retirees, Griffith submitted bills seeking claims under the Harper vs. Commonwealth of Virginia decision which ended the practice of collecting state taxes on federal retirement money. These claims were rolled into another bill. "The House passed his bill and it will likely pass in the Senate," Griffith said. "The bill re-opens the opportunity to file for the settlement for retirees who missed the filing deadline under particular conditions."
Griffith also sponsored a resolution calling for a review of a policy allowing state prisoners to be paid for the work they do while in prison. The resolution has passed both houses.
Del. Tommy Baker, R-Pulaski County, saw the Senate pass a bill he introduced to help provide jail inmate labor to localities. "Many localities, including Pulaski, use inmate labor for public works, such as riding on the garbage trucks," he said. "Under current law, judges can already authorize inmate labor outside the jail and award them good time toward a reduction in their sentences."
However, because of rules mandating that certain prisoners be moved to state facilities within six months of their imprisonment, there is a smaller pool of available inmate labor at local jails. "Often, due to lack of time, it is not feasible for the sheriff to go through the sometimes-cumbersome court procedure to secure sufficient inmate labor before prisoners are transferred to state facilities," Baker said. "Under my bill, the sheriffs will be able to directly assign nonviolent 'trustee' type inmates to garbage detail, just as the court can now do." It should save the taxpayers quite a bit of money, he said.
"In Pulaski County, for example, inmate labor on the garbage trucks is saving the taxpayers approximately $150,000 per year. Should something not have been done to increase the availability of inmate labor, Pulaski, and other localities, would likely have increased garbage collection fees in order to pay for local employee help in collection. This bill passed the House 100-0, and passed the Senate 38-2."
Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville highlights debate this week over a bill that requested a study of insurance companies and exclusive insurance agents. The bill died on the Senate floor.
"I voted for the study," Marye said. "This was a very controversial bill involving the rights of franchised insurance agents. I received many calls from agents on both sides of the issue."
The assembly also considered a bill that prohibits the shooting or taking of exotic birds and animals on shooting preserves.
"These are, for the most part, large animals not common to our region," Marye said. Many of the animals are raised specifically for the shooting preserves.
"I do not think that this type of hunt is a good example of the true sport of hunting," Marye said. The bill, which has been carried over to next year, also rescinds the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' authority to regulate shooting preserves.
Both Democrats and Republicans have worked hard to curb youth violence through juvenile justice reform this session, says Sen. Malfourd "Bo" Trumbo, R-Fincastle.
Trumbo also mentions this week that:
The governor has requested students be tested to determine the effectiveness of their learning. This new statewide testing has been approved for secondary school children, but the contention is determining in which grade they will be tested.
The budget will have a freeze on college tuition rates. There will also be raises for college faculty, state employees and school teachers (K-12).
LENGTH: Long : 108 lines KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1996by CNB