ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
RICHMOND
IF PASSED, the legislation would provide benefits for work-related hearing loss or carpal tunnel syndrome, reversing a state Supreme Court ruling.
Gov. George Allen said Thursday he is inclined to sign a bill bringing hearing loss and carpal tunnel injuries under workers' compensation, provided the injuries are "truly, clearly and demonstrably" related to work.
The General Assembly appears on the verge of passing legislation that reverses last year's state Supreme Court ruling that workers who develop those conditions aren't eligible for benefits.
The Senate and House of Delegates have unanimously passed separate bills, and business groups say they now support a compromise engineered by House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, that requires "clear and convincing proof" the ailment "arose out of or in the course of employment." Businesses had wanted a higher standard of proof; labor groups wanted a lesser one.
At a wide-ranging news conference, Allen also offered his midpoint assessment of the 1997 General Assembly session. He said he was pleased that some of his major budget initiatives - such as remedial reading for first-graders and nutrient reduction in the Chesapeake Bay - are still alive.
Among his comments:
* The Republican chief executive, entering his final year in office, vowed to veto legislation that would strip authority from his conservative appointees on the state Board of Elections.
* He also said he would sign only a "true" parental notification bill that requires minors to notify their parents or guardians - not far-flung relatives - before undergoing abortions.
"It's a fraud on the people," Allen said of a House bill that would allow notification of adult siblings or grandparents. He vetoed a similar bill two years ago.
* On another matter, Allen and Attorney General Jim Gilmore claimed victory in their fight against federal education officials over disciplining schoolchildren.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the federal Department of Education exceeded its bounds in threatening to withhold $40million from Virginia if the state expelled disabled students, even if disciplinary problems were not related to their disability.
"Just because someone has disabilities doesn't give them the right to beat up a teacher," Allen said.
The Clinton administration may appeal the ruling, saying the state must continue to provide an education for disabled students.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1997by CNB