THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 24, 1995 TAG: 9502240563
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT LITTLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
A bill giving the right to carry concealed weapons to virtually anyone who has not been convicted of a serious crime, abused drugs or alcohol or had mental problems cleared a final hurdle in the General Assembly on Thursday.
With a 25-13 vote in the state Senate to approve some minor changes made in the House of Delegates, the measure goes to Gov. George F. Allen, who has said he supports the idea.
The bill, which could prove to be one of the more substantive law changes to come out of this year's General Assembly, received scant opposition from a body that two years ago passed a law limiting handgun purchases to one a month.
Under the new law, Circuit Court judges would no longer be able to refuse concealed-weapon permit applications simply because they think the applicant does not need to carry a gun. Supporters of the bill say judges have abused that power, and used it as a catch-all to refuse permit applications.
It is otherwise illegal to carry a handgun in a public place if the weapon is concealed from view.
``This will simply allow citizens to get these permits in a nonarbitrary manner,'' said Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, who introduced the plan in the Senate.
He called warnings that the bill would drastically increase the number of guns on the street ``baloney.''
Opponents didn't see it that way.
``It has to be one of the worst pieces of legislation to come out of this 1995 session,'' said Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth.
Lucas' 25-year-old nephew, Kevin A. Smith, was shot on a Norfolk sidewalk just over a year ago and died with a loaded gun in his hand.
The man accused of murdering Smith argued self-defense and was acquitted last month. Before Smith's death, the suspect had been convicted of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
Lucas called it ``hypocrisy in its highest form'' that Republicans, with their tough-on-crime image, would advance a law making it easier to carry weapons.
The bill passed Thursday would deny concealed-weapon permits to convicted felons, drug users, anyone convicted of public drunkenness twice within five years and illegal aliens. Also, anyone convicted of stalking, people with certain recent misdemeanor convictions and anyone who has received mental health treatment within five years would be denied a permit.
In the House, legislation limiting campaign contributions in statewide and assembly elections appeared headed for defeat for a third straight year.
Lawmakers from both parties voted in a show of hands to allow the measure to ``go by'' for the day, increasing the chances that campaign limits will die in the final 48 hours of the assembly session.
House Majority Leader C. Richard Cranwell - a foe of campaign limits - offered a substitute proposal that would raise the limits contained in a Senate-approved version.
The Cranwell plan would allow candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general to receive up to $20,000 from individuals and $40,000 from political action committees. The limits for assembly candidates would be $8,000 from individuals and $15,000 from PACs.
Even if the Cranwell substitute were to pass the House, it contains a booby trap that is almost certain to trip up the bill in the Senate. Senators have insisted they deserve higher limits because Senate districts are larger than House districts.
In other action, the House:
Passed a bill that would transfer the regulation of charitable bingo game operators from local governments to a statewide charitable gaming commission.
Voted 49-48 to reject a Senate bill that codifies a Virginia Supreme Court decision giving schoolteachers immunity from being sued for actions of good faith in disciplining students and keeping order in the classroom. MEMO: Staff writer David M. Poole contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle said the bill allows a ``nonarbitrary''
permit process.
Sen. Louise Lucas called the bill one of the worst this assembly
session.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY by CNB