THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070615
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 128 lines
Virginia's state lawmakers proved Thursday that nothing saves the government's time like a little cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.
In the Senate, where they had some of that cooperation, legislators spent an hour discussing hundreds of amendments to the state budget, ultimately agreeing on every one.
In the House of Delegates, where they had none of that cooperation, members dragged out the debate for almost five hours. They locked the party horns over spending for politically charged items like the environment, gambling and military education.
And by the end of the day, both chambers achieved the same thing. Each approved its own set of revisions to Virginia's $35 billion spending plan, which will now be ironed out by an eight-person conference of senators and delegates.
The Senate passed its plan with congratulatory pride, ending with a standing ovation for everyone involved.
They debated a community college scholarship program proposed by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Donald S. Beyer Jr., but approved it without even taking a recorded vote. Ditto for a brief disagreement over $100,000 to defend capital crime defendants.
The House, conversely, hashed out 24 separate disagreements, casting an armload of recorded votes that mostly split on party lines. The Democrats control the committee that proposed the amendments and they control the full chamber. None of the Republican challenges succeeded.
Each seat in the House is up for election this year, and the topics debated Thursday sounded familiar partisan tones. Among the proposals:
Establish a public defender office in Charlottesville.
Eliminate $600,000 budgeted by Gov. George Allen to pay for liability insurance for teachers.
Phase out a military training program for women at Mary Baldwin College.
Cut a $200,000 program to encourage responsible fatherhood.
Reduce eight management positions in the Department of Environmental Quality.
Allow welfare recipients attending school to seek exemptions from the program's new work requirement.
Fund a study of welfare reform by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee.
The use of lottery revenues to study the viability of a major-league baseball stadium in Northern Virginia.
After Thursday's debate, House members voted 99-0 to approve its budget changes. The Senate voted 39-1, with one member voting no only to take advantage of a Senate rule allowing opponents a say in the budget's final outcome. ALSO THURSDAY
Senate panel approves tree-cutting measure
Billboard owners got closer to their goal of being able to chop down trees blocking motorists' view of their advertisements.
A Senate committee approved legislation to allow billboard owners to cut down ``diseased or unsightly'' trees up to 4 inches in diameter on public land if the trees block the view of the billboard. The bill was passed last week by the House.
A Senate committee approved a bill that would increase fines for drivers who speed in school zones. STATUS REPORT
The status of some major initiatives in the 1997 General Assembly:
Unemployment tax cut. Gov. George Allen's proposal passed the Senate but was significantly revised in the House to include higher jobless benefits.
Government ethics. Modest adjustments in lobbyists' and state officials' financial disclosure requirements are still alive, along with restrictions on officials' ability to raise campaign funds during legislative sessions.
Education. The budget includes increased funding for class-size reduction, first-grade reading remediation and new instructional materials. QUOTE OF THE DAY
``All of the media accounts have focused on where we differ. None have noticed that there are so many areas where we agree on things that will make an enormous difference to the citizens of Virginia.''
- Sen. Stanley C. Walker of Norfolk, co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, talking about the budget. NOTICED & NOTED
The original workload: House and Senate bills and resolutions introduced this year: 2,492.
Bills and resolutions carried over from last year: 526.
Total: 3,018
Now: 1,165 bills under consideration WHAT'S NEXT
Today's House of Delegates' session starts at 10 a.m. Senate session starts at 11 a.m.
Monday - Portsmouth Del. Billy Moore will present Commending Resolutions on the floor of the House of Delegates to honor C. Gordon Ellsworth, principal of Douglass Park Earth and Space Elementary School, outstanding elementary school principal in Virginia; and Frances A. Williams, office manager at Douglass Park Elementary School, most outstanding school secretary in Virginia for 1996.
Accompanying Ellsworth and Williams will be Dr. Richard Trumble, superintendent of schools; Pete Kloeppel of the Portsmouth Education Association, and other Portsmouth school administrators.
The Student Virginia Education Association from Old Dominion University will visit the Assembly Monday. STAYING IN TOUCH
CONSTITUENT VIEWPOINTS:
a toll-free hot line to give commonwealth citizens the opportunity to express their views on issues before the General Assembly: (800) 889-0229
For more information:
The Clerk's Office
House of Delegates
P.O. Box 406
Richmond, Va. 23218
(804) 786-6530
The Clerk's Office
Senate of Virginia
P.O. Box 396
Richmond, Va. 23218
(804) 786-3838
ONLINE INFORMATION:
See Pilot Online's Virginia Voter Net to read and track bills, check local legislators' contact information and legislation, and review Pilot coverage. The Web address is http://www.pilotonline.com/voter/ MEMO: Staff writers Laura LaFay and Robert Little, and The Associated
Press, contributed to this report. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Sen. Stanley C. Walker