ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 13, 1996 TAG: 9603130066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
TYPE: ANALYSIS
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
THE GOVERNOR and residents won more from the General Assembly after George Allen dropped his hard-knuckle approach toward Democrats. - After failing to win a Republican legislative majority in last fall's elections, Gov. George Allen began adapting both his style and his priorities for the remaining two years of his term.
On the surface, a much-changed Allen emerged during the two-month legislative session that ended Monday. Gone was his once-constant labeling of Democratic lawmakers as "fat-cat career politicians" and his polarizing crusade for major tax and spending cuts.
The improved post-election atmosphere allowed Allen and Democrats peacefully to agree to spend an extra $1 billion on public schools and colleges, toughen the juvenile justice system and expand economic development activities.
That doesn't mean Allen and the General Assembly see eye to eye or that the governor has abandoned his conservative base.
"As far as my principles and goals are concerned, they're exactly the same," Allen said in an interview Monday. "The question is how you get the best results."
This new approach often led to a nicer relationship between the governor and lawmakers, if not always passage of bills. Democrats blocked the governor's attempts to create public funding for semi-private "charter schools," require parental notification before abortions are performed on teen-agers, return lottery profits to localities, or allow citizen-sponsored initiatives to appear on ballots.
But unlike last year, the Democrats didn't call the governor an "extremist" when he introduced the measures, and Allen didn't call the Democrats "arrogant" when they defeated the measures.
"Things pretty much worked out the same way on a lot of issues," quipped Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, a Democrat. "It's just that this year everyone was a lot nicer."
Allen sees it differently. "What a difference a year makes. ... We found much common ground on which to move Virginia forward," he said Monday, several hours before the legislature adjourned.
The governor said the setbacks were small in comparison with the successes. The advances in education, economic development, and juvenile justice were all matters at the top of his agenda, he said.
Allen said the successes in each area indicate that the General Assembly is gradually becoming acclimated to his conservative agenda.
The governor and many Democratic lawmakers agree that the absence of an election this year eased tensions and allowed them to find common ground on many key issues.
Last year, for example, the governor proposed cutting money for public education. This year, he backed a Democratic plan to increase funding by $600 million.
In return, Allen won Democratic support for developing a series of standardized tests that will allow parents and educators to compare student achievement in every Virginia public school. Last year, Democrats killed the testing plan.
Allen also lauded a bipartisan compromise on juvenile justice: It respected his desire for tough sentencing for violent criminals and the Democrats' demand for more early intervention programs.
"The administration was all over the Capitol, but not in a confrontational mode," said Del. Jay DeBoer, D-Petersburg. "We seldom heard from the governor himself, and we seldom heard Republicans say the words `this is the governor's bill.'''
Allen advisers say the governor remained in the background this year because he did not want his touchy relationship with Democrats to become an issue in debate.
Instead of making personal appeals to the legislature, Allen often worked through the business community. He enlisted a group of corporate executives to lobby on behalf of his standardized testing plan.
When the House cut $20 million from an economic development fund, Allen responded with a series of speeches before business organizations, calmly outlining the need for the money. The House ultimately agreed to restore $12 million.
"The in-your-face stuff wasn't needed this year," said Allen. GOP gains in last fall's election resulted in a 20-20 split of Senate seats between Democrats and Republicans and an unprecedented power-sharing arrangement. That helped neutralize the House, which is controlled by Democrats.
"It was not just me alone this year," Allen said. "I had some strong allies."
Many Republican lawmakers applaud Allen's change in style. "He'd become the focal point, and that was causing us real problems getting legislation through," said Senate Republican floor leader Joseph Benedetti of Richmond. "We've been telling him, `For God's sake, you've got to tone down; we're going to be here a lot longer than you.'''
Even tough rivals such as House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, credit the 44-year-old governor with maturing. "The emotional, vitriolic tone was gone this year, and I think the governor and the people of Virginia have more to show for it," he said.
Cranwell and many legislators say a key element in the peace was Allen's abandonment of last year's effort to cut state income taxes. Allen would have paid for the reduction with unpopular funding cuts for public schools, aid to local police departments and Meals on Wheels for senior citizens.
Virginia already has the second-lowest overall taxes in the nation. Public opinion polls last fall showed Virginians strongly preferred seeing a greater investment in education to receiving a tax cut.
Allen, who will leave office in January 1998, won't say whether he'll try to cut taxes. Many Republicans say they would be surprised if he does.
"At least for the short term, dollars are going to be scarce," Benedetti said, ``so I don't see it happening during his time as governor.''
Allen also won't declare his old bare-knuckle style a thing of the past. "As governor, it's always nice when you can get your message across in a quiet way," he said. "But once in a while, you have to do things."
LENGTH: Long : 111 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Allen. color. KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1996by CNB