THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 2, 1996 TAG: 9607030020
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 52 lines
Juveniles accused of crimes, providers of home day care, women scheduling gynecological exams and virtually every other Virginian, take note.
A host of new laws affecting you and your neighbor took effect Monday.
The primary handiwork of the 1996 General Assembly is a reform of juvenile-justice laws. We can only hope the blend of tougher sentencing and increased spending on prevention will lessen violence by the state's youth.
Following a national trend, Virginia juveniles 14 and up now will automatically be tried as adults when they are accused of certain horrific crimes, including first-degree murder. Prosecutors will have the option of turning to adult courts in cases involving certain other serious felonies, including rape.
In a compromise that pleased both sides in the punishment vs. prevention debate, the reform also includes $20 million for education and treatment of less-serious offenders. Judges will have some additional sentencing options, including boot camps.
The jury is still out on the impact of such reforms. But it is good that the state is not ignoring either side of the equation. In a climate where young people are committing crimes once reserved for their elders, tougher sentences are appropriate. However, if the goal is to rid society of such acts, the better solution is to prevent crimes before they occur. Ultimately, it's a lot less costly to run neighborhood parks programs and counseling services than to imprison a person for a lifetime.
Other changes of note:
The number of children that an unlicensed day-care provider can keep has dropped from eight to five. That's the good news where Virginia's children are concerned. The worrisome news is that the number of state licensing inspectors hasn't gone up, even though the number of home-day-care licensees has jumped 33 percent in the past six months. Failing to police new requirements is simply a back-door way of thwarting the law.
Next year's Assembly should close the gap if the Social Services Department falls behind on inspections.
Women visiting their gynecologists and obstetricians will no longer have to get a referral from a primary-care physician for insurance purposes. That's a common-sense change, remarkable only for the massive lobbying effort required to overcome objections from insurers.
Also, young people flunking their written driver's test will have to wait longer to retake it. The noxious business, professional and occupational license tax has been revamped. The state will crack down on allegations of spousal abuse. And clerks who sell cigarettes to minors risk a $50 fine. In all, about 1,000 new laws are now on the books.
But don't think that's the end. Legislators will be back in Richmond in January. Come July 1997, a new crop of laws will flower. by CNB