THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 17, 1995 TAG: 9502170534
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
A measure that would bar casino companies from bankrolling political candidates in Virginia fared well - perhaps too well - in the state Senate on Thursday.
Instead of voting against the bill, opponents jumped on the anti-vice bandwagon by broadening the ban to include campaign contributions from beer and wine distributors and tobacco companies.
The idea was to pile on so many prohibitions that the measure would die today when it comes before the House of Delegates.
The bill's original sponsor, Virginia Beach Del. Glenn R. Croshaw, said he would either ask the House to strip the amendments or ask that the bill be withdrawn.
``I'm not going to let it go forward with all that on it,'' said Croshaw, a Democrat.
Floating casinos are dead for the year in Virginia, but Sen. Mark L. Earley, R-Chesapeake, said he was concerned that tainted money from out-of-state gambling interests could hold sway in Virginia as it has in other states.
Charlottesville Sen. Edgar S. Robb, a Republican and former FBI agent, urged his colleagues to keep Virginia clean of the casinos' ``lousy, dirty, filthy, rotten money.''
The Croshaw bill - with the prohibitions on gambling, alcohol and tobacco money - passed the Senate 30-10.
The Senate also approved a bill that would grant companies immunity from state enforcement action if they voluntarily disclose pollution problems.
The bill, which has been approved by the House, now goes to Gov. George F. Allen, who said he would sign it.
Industry groups say they need the immunity as an incentive for companies to conduct voluntary environmental audits without fear that the information will be used against them.
Environmentalists support voluntary audits, but said the bill is so broad that it will allow polluters to be given immunity for any number of sins.
In other action, a bill requiring parental notification when an unmarried minor seeks an abortion was killed by the Senate Education and Health Committee, but a pro-choice lobbyist said she expects the measure to be revived.
``The governor may send down a bill,'' said Judy Castleman of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League. ``I would be shocked if he did not.''
Allen spokesman Ken Stroupe said no decision has been made.
There was little debate before the Senate committee voted 9-6 to kill the bill.
Last year, the General Assembly passed a parental notification bill for the first time.
Allen vetoed the bill - which was similar to this year's version - because he opposed a provision allowing a step-parent or adult sibling to be notified instead of a parent.
The Senate will be the setting today for the final showdown over a modified ward system for local elections in Virginia Beach.
Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle has put forth a substitute plan that would require Virginia Beach voters - which approved the modified ward plan - to go back to the polls in May 1996.
The second referendum would pose a two-part question:
1. Should lines be redrawn so that each of the seven boroughs has an equal population?
2. Should the seven borough representatives on council and school board be elected only by people living in their respective boroughs?
The substitute plan is likely to succeed because Virginia Beach's senior senator, Democrat Clarence A. Holland, also opposes the modified ward plan approved by voters.
But community leaders who collected signatures for the referendum petition drive are lobbying to stick with the original plan. MEMO: The Associated Press contributed to this story.
ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Virginia Beach Del. Glenn R. Croshaw, who sponsored the
casino-lobbying bill, said he would ask the House to strip the
amendments.
Sen. Mark L. Earley, R-Chesapeake, is concerned that tainted money
from out-of-state gambling interests could hold sway in Virginia.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY by CNB