THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 20, 1994 TAG: 9409200319
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LAURA LAFAY AND LAURENCE HAMMACK
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Gov. George Allen urged a special session of the General Assembly on Monday to act now to end the ``evil menace'' of violent crime in Virginia by abolishing parole. But legislators - divided along party lines - spent much of the first day of the session arguing about whether to call a weeklong recess.
Alerted by reports that the Democratic majority planned to stall the session so it could hold public hearings on the issue, Republicans sought an amendment early in the day to continue the session. But the amendment was defeated, with Republicans voting for it and Democrats voting against it.
Lawmakers are expected to approve the recess when the Assembly reconvenes today. Public hearings are scheduled this week in Chantilly, Wytheville, Norfolk and Richmond. The Norfolk hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the City Council chambers.
``What we're about to embark on needs reasonable, rational, examination in the context of how we're going to pay for whatever we do,'' said House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Roanoke. ``I don't think we should strap ourselves to any particular time frame.''
But Republicans maintained that any kind of recess would constitute a transparent stalling tactic by the Democrats, who Republicans say want to rob Allen's initiative of its momentum.
``To think that we can go home after a day or two and then come back like a herd of amoebas and then go home again . . . I find that (idea) repugnant,'' said Raymond R. Guest Jr., R-Front Royal.
On Monday, Democrats took every opportunity to criticize Allen's plan, known as Proposal X, charging that it ignores crime prevention and would bankrupt the future of the commonwealth.
Allen, who campaigned on a platform to end parole and has staked his governorship on the issue, planned to address the joint Assembly at 1 p.m. But he washeld up for two hours while legislators bickered over the recess.
``You are here in this session to make a choice,'' Allen told the Assembly. ``Compassion for criminals versus compassion for victims and law-abiding citizens.''
Allen threatened to veto a Democratic alternative plan under which inmates would serve minimum sentences without parole, or a plan promoted by Lt. Gov. Donald Beyer to abolish parole retroactively.
``Do not send me a bill that fails to abolish parole . . . do not send me a bill loaded down with pork-barrel spending . . . do not delay,'' Allen said.
Allen's speech was interrupted nine times by applause from legislators, most of whom wore ``ABOLISH PAROLE NOW!'' stickers on their lapels. A few said Proposal X will probably pass untouched.
Monday's much-heralded session began with a ``kickoff'' sponsored by Allen and Attorney General James S. Gilmore. For more than an hour, a crowd of about 200 people - some holding photographs of crime victims, others brandishing Allen-issued posters demanding legislators to ``Abolish Parole Now'' - sang ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' and applauded bureaucrats who extolled Allen's plan and crime victims who told of their experiences.
The crowd gathered on both sides of a roped-off corridor leading to the General Assembly Office Building. The passage - the most direct route between the office building and the Capitol - became a gantlet of Allen supporters through which legislators passed. Several Democrats said they avoided the gantlet by sneaking though a side door.
Across the street, about 50 members of an inmate advocacy group opposing the plan held signs calling for greater emphasis on crime prevention. ``GOVERNOR, GIVE THE CHILDREN HOPE,'' said one. At an earlier rally by Citizens United For the Rehabilitation of Errants, the president of the Richmond branch of the NAACP, the Rev. Michael Williams, said he would fast until the special session ends.
Under Proposal X, parole would be abolished for all those caught committing offenses after Jan. 1, 1995. All inmates would serve at least 85 percent of sentences, with violent and repeat offenders facing up to seven times longer. MEMO: LaFay is a staff writer for The Virginian-Pilot, and Hammack is a staff
writer for The Roanoke Times & World-News.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Gov. George F. Allen
KEYWORDS: PAROLE REFORM VIRGINIA by CNB