THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604170373
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Long : 111 lines
Gov. George F. Allen wants to keep anti-fishing protesters stranded at the pier.
Allen has proposed an amendment making it illegal for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to launch boats off Virginia Beach this summer to discourage sport fishing.
``Fishermen take this very seriously; protesters would be interfering in their livelihood in some cases,'' said Julie Overy, an Allen spokeswoman.
Virginia Beach Del. Glenn Croshaw had vowed to introduce fishing-protest legislation when the General Assembly meets next year. But Allen found a shortcut by amending an unrelated boating bill.
The anti-PETA amendment is expected to pass today when the General Assembly reconvenes for its annual one-day veto session. If the amendment passes, it will go into effect today.
The Assembly will tackle a long slate of Allen proposals, including line-item vetoes of four budget items, vetoes of nine bills and amendments to 160 individualpieces of legislation.
One of the most contested issues will be Allen's veto of budget language requiring him to apply for $6.7 million in federal Goals 2000 funds, if 85 local school districts petition his administration for the money.
An independent statewide poll released Tuesday suggests that nearly half of Virginians believe Allen is wrong to refuse the money.
Democrats said the survey by Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research confirmed their contention that Allen's ideological opposition to Goals 2000 is out of touch with the state's political mainstream.
But Allen officials argued that the poll is meaningless because people surveyed were given information that put Goals 2000 in a favorable light.
Ken Stroupe, Allen's press secretary, wondered aloud what the results might have been if the question had been worded to include the administration's fears that Goals 2000 would lead to federal intrusion into state education decisions.
The Goals 2000 debate takes place against the backdrop of a constitutional dispute over the governor's power under his line-item veto authority.
The state constitution allows the governor to veto specific ``items'' in the budget.
Because Goals 2000 is a language amendment, House Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr. of Norfolk could rule that Allen's veto is inappropriate - thus setting up an almost certain court battle between the executive and legislative branches.
Moss said Tuesday that he had not decided what to do. He acknowledged that some Democrats, convinced that Allen is pursuing a losing policy, have urged him to force a vote on Goals 2000.
The Allen-Democrat showdown over Goals 2000 is in marked contrast to the relative harmony of the General Assembly session that ended last month.
That truce helped both sides improve their standing with the public.
The Mason-Dixon poll showed that 58 percent of Virginians rate Allen's performance as excellent or good - up from 54 percent in October and the highest during his 27-month term.
The General Assembly's rating was 39 percent, up from 32 percent following the tulmultuous 1995 session.
``This shows that people tend to have very little tolerance for the kind of partisanship that went on last year,'' Overy said.
On the anti-fishing issue, Allen's amendment would prohibit people from operating a watercraft in a ``willful and intentional manner to impede the lawful fishing for any species of fish or shellfish.''
The amendment is far less sweeping than Croshaw's proposal to give fishermen the same legal protection from harassment that hunters and trappers enjoy. But Allen's plan could take effect immediately.
``That'll be great and that'll take care of us on the water,'' said Richard Welton, a local charter boat captain, of Allen's amendment. ``The only place we've had any trouble with them so far is where people were cleaning their fish at the dock and this wouldn't cover that.''
Welton said a commercial fisherman at Lynnhaven Waterway Marina was harassed two weeks ago by two people who identified themselves as PETA members. They were driving a car with New Jersey license plates, he said.
Welton and Virginia Beach Councilman Bill Harrison are working with the city attorney to determine whether existing ordinances will protect fishermen from harassment or whether new ordinances are needed.
Tracy Raiman, PETA's fish campaign coordinator, said the amendment would not stop the group from holding protests and demonstrations at the Virginia Beach piers - and perhaps on the water.
The purpose, she said, will be to portray sport fishing as a ``frivolous activity that tortures fish.''
``We think this is an issue that most people who fish haven't considered,'' she said.
Raiman would not rule out launching boats near sport-fishing craft to raise awareness and, perhaps, try to scare away fish.
``We won't break the law,'' she said, ``but if we skip a rock in the water, how different would that be from throwing a hook in the water?''
Raiman acknowledged the public may have little patience with the tactics or philosophy of PETA, which plans to move its national headquarters to downtown Norfolk in June.
``We realize this is a new concept for many people. We want to open people's eyes,'' Raiman said.
KEYWORDS: PETA FISHING INDUSTRY AMENDMENT by CNB