THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 28, 1995 TAG: 9501280240
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GREG SCHNEIDER AND DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
House Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr. said Friday that he would seek a one-year legislative study before proceeding with a plan to strip law-enforcement powers from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The decision to delay action came at the request of the Allen administration, which also wants to transfer the enforcement of ABC laws to the Virginia State Police.
``There are many issues that need to be resolved before a transfer could occur,'' Public Safety Secretary Jerry W. Kilgore said in a letter to Moss.
Gov. George F. Allen and Moss have arrived at the same conclusion for different reasons. Allen wants to consolidate ABC and other agency law enforcement functions under the state police for efficiency. Moss has said he wants the change because of complaints that ABC officers have unfairly targeted some restaurants and nightclubs, including at least one of his client's.
The chief sponsor of this ABC law enforcement bill is Norfolk Del. William P. Robinson Jr., who said he introduced it at Moss' request.
In other business Friday, Democratic lawmakers disputed claims Allen made the day before that Virginia is losing business development to North Carolina because the Tar Heel State has a lower tax rate.
Senate Majority Leader Hunter B. Andrews of Hampton produced a chart showing that Virginia's tax rates are actually lower.
According to Andrews, Virginia's corporate income tax is 6 percent, and North Carolina's is 7.75 percent. The state sales tax is 4.5 percent in Virginia and 6 percent in North Carolina. The individual income tax rate in Virginia is 5.75 percent for income over $17,000; in North Carolina, the rate is 7 percent for income over $21,250 and 7.75 percent for income over $100,000.
``So to say that industry comes to North Carolina because they're a low-tax state doesn't conform to the facts. Some people just don't get the facts straight,'' Andrews said.
The Senate discussion then degenerated into a blame-throwing contest.
Republicans contended that it was wrong to blame North Carolina's tax increases on that state's former GOP governor, James G. Martin. The governor has no power to introduce or amend legislation, said Sen. Stephen H. Martin, R-Chesterfield County. More important, he added, ``the direction in other states is to cut the size of government and to cut taxes.''
In response, Andrews boomed: ``You are implying that the governor of the great state of North Carolina is powerless. He is just a eunuch sitting there. To all my good friends in North Carolina . . . I will tell them, don't come to Chesterfield County with your governor, because he's nothing.''
Nearly every year since 1986, when the General Assembly passed a law requiring that schools begin their school year after Labor Day, bills to repeal the action have been introduced - and defeated.
On Thursday, legislators again dashed the hopes of local school boards. By an 8-7 margin, the Senate Education and Health Committee indefinitely tabled a bill to amend the law. MEMO: Staff writer Jon Glass contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: House Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr., left, of Norfolk, and Senate
Majority Leader Hunter B. Andrews, right, of Hampton.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALCOHOL BEVERAGE CONTROL by CNB