THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 6, 1995 TAG: 9502060071
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
In separate spending plans, Democrat-controlled legislative money committees on Sunday restored much of the $149 million that Gov. George F. Allen would have cut from education, human services and cultural programs.
The cuts are no longer necessary now that the General Assembly has rejected Allen's plan to slash taxes.
Senate Finance Chairman Hunter B. Andrews said he hoped the money committees' bipartisan support for the restorations would put an end to what he called the most ``strident, shrill, partisan'' rhetoric he has heard in his 31 years in the General Assembly.
``For my part,'' the Hampton Democrat said, ``I would hope we could spend the remainder of the session focused . . . less on the political gamesmanship of an upcoming November election.''
An hour later, however, Allen engineered a procedural tactic designed to press the Democrat-controlled Assembly to cut revenue and spending.
Allen used his executive privilege to introduce legislation that would require the state to give $300 million in annual lottery revenues to local governments.
The bill, Allen said in a letter, would ``impose needed discipline on state spending while channeling significant new resources back into Virginia's communities.''
Democratic lawmakers called the bill a political stunt timed to divert attention from the money committees' repudiation of many of his spending cuts.
``I think he's floundering,'' said House Majority Leader C. Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County. ``The bills are coming down from the third floor like fliers coming down over Germany in World War II.''
Spending plans recommended by the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee restore funding to services for the state's most vulnerable residents. Both versions would cancel Allen's proposed cuts in such programs as home-delievered meals for elderly shut-ins, medical benefits for teenagers from low-income families, and dropout-prevention grants to local school systems.
In some cases, the Senate plan goes further to pour additional funds into services like police grants to localities and services to mentally handicapped people.
Higher education would get one-third of the restored funds, or about $50 million.
It was Allen's proposed cuts to state-funded colleges and universities that drew strong opposition from business leaders and three former governors.
There are scores of differences in the Senate and House budget plans.
The Senate Finance Committee proposes a $47 million initiative to tie public schools into the ``information superhighway.'' The House version does not include such a plan, which would be paid for through a state fund that provides low-interest loans for school construction.
The House would restore the entire $12.4 million slated for cuts in the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, while the Senate version would reinstate $10.2 million.
The Senate would restore $2.1 million in grants to public television and radio, while the house would put back $1.1 million.
The two chambers will have to reconcile their differences before the General Assembly adjourns Feb. 25.
Several high-profile projects in South Hampton Roads escaped spending cuts in the House and Senate versions.
The legislature will reinstate a $1.3 million grant for the proposed Tidewater Community College campus in downtown Norfolk; eliminate a $1.2 million penalty for Norfolk State University's tardy reorganization plan; and restore $235,000 slated to be cut from the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk.
The House Appropriations plan would provide Old Dominion University with $1.6 million to expand its ``Teletechnet'' program for out-of-town students. The Senate Finance plan would provide an extra $600,000. ILLUSTRATION: CUTS RESTORED
House and Senate finance committees would restore Allen cuts
from
TCC - $1.3 million
Norfolk State - $1.2 million
Chrysler Museum - $235,000
Virginia Marine Science Museum - $112,500
Neither committee acted to restore Allen's proposal to cut
$100,000 from the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tourney.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY BUDGET by CNB