Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 1, 1993 TAG: 9303010140
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
ASSEMBLY'S CLOUT? LOOK TO NORTHERN VA.
Northern Virginia lawmakers are claiming new clout in the General Assembly after appearing at the forefront of major issues and securing $105 million in a bond package for transportation projects."It's no longer the agricultural-based legislature that it was for the last 200-plus years," said Del. David Brickley, D-Woodbridge. "Two years ago, you never would have been able to get a gun-control bill; you never would be able to get $105 million in bonds."
As chairmen of the legislature's Courts of Justice committees, two Arlington Democrats, Del. James Almand and Sen. Edward Holland, sponsored Wilder's proposal to limit handgun purchases to one a month. The bill passed last week.
The delegation also secured modest victories with a new law allowing local governments to require that young bicyclists wear helmets, tougher sentences for carjackers, extra money for local schools and small raises for faculty members at George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College.
Meantime, rural legislators on Saturday failed in their attempt to get more school aid for their localities.
The predicament of rural conservatives, who traditionally have dominated the legislature, was even reduced to a joke. When bills affecting them were debated on the House of Delegates floor, lawmakers would good-naturedly chant, "Rural! Rural! Rural!"
"The word `rural' is not a cry of strength. It's a dying cry, a cry of desperation," said Del. Kenneth Plum, D-Reston.
The suburban lawmakers haven't necessarily become morepowerful than their rural colleagues, Del. Vance Wilkins Jr., R-Amherst, said Sunday.
"I certainly think they have a reasonable share of clout in theGeneral Assembly. That's because they represent one-fourth of the legislature," said Wilkins, House minority leader.
In addition, the passage of the transportation legislation does not mean the Northern Virginia lawmakers now have more pull, he said.
"I don't know if that proves anything," Wilkins said. "That particular bill was promised to them several years ago and was held back because of budget problems."
The usually cohesive delegation from Northern Virginia finished the session with some internal disagreements, but most of them were minor, said Sen. Joseph V. Gartlan Jr., D-Fairfax and co-chairman of the delegation.
"When something was important to the region, we have not had any major splits," he said.