THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407080567
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 22 lines
Tyson Foods Inc. asked a federal judge Thursday to strike down Virginia's anti-takeover laws, which were used to help foil the Arkansas chicken company's bid to acquire competitor WLR Foods Inc. U.S. District Judge James H. Michael did not rule from the bench, and the case, along with several other legal challenges stemming from the takeover attempt, may be undecided until the end of a trial in September. WLR shareholders voted May 21 to essentially reject Tyson's offer to buy the Virginia company for $330 million, or $30 a share. Tyson, the nation's largest poultry producer, claims the Virginia laws violate clauses of the U.S. Constitution that regulate interstate commerce and give federal laws precedence over state laws. by CNB