ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, January 14, 1996               TAG: 9601150066
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: A-4  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ROBERT LITTLE STAFF WRITER 

VA. SENATE AGREEMENT COULD AFFECT ABORTION, GAMING

Beyond making a change in the way judges will be named in Virginia, the agreement between Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate could have a noticeable effect on high-profile issues in the General Assembly. Among them:

The effort to require that minors notify their parents before having abortions is expected to gain strength. A key factor: the Education and Health Committee. Proponents think they have support for the bill in the full Senate, but the Education and Health Committee has been a roadblock over the years.

The Senate compromise gives Democrats an 8-7 majority on the panel, but puts a Fairfax County Republican, Warren Barry, at the helm. Barry has supported parental notification legislation in the past.

Sen. Mark Earley, R-Chesapeake, will submit the bill requiring a girl younger than 18 to tell a parent or guardian before she has an abortion. In the past, versions have been diluted by lowering the age or including relatives, friends, counselors among those who could be notified to satisfy the law.

Earley said he still expects a tight vote, but said the new organization clearly works in the bill's favor.

"We have to see, but I think its chances have improved," he said.

Gambling laws could suffer under the new makeup of the Senate's General Laws Committee. Sen. William Wampler Jr. of Bristol, the panel's new Republican chairman, generally opposes gambling legislation, including the state lottery.

This year, Wampler's committee could consider proposals by Gov. George Allen to implement two new lottery games. One, called Powerball, would be similar to the current Lotto game, but would have larger jackpots and be played jointly with other states.

Another proposed game, Keno, has sparked debate because it is much more interactive and immediate than typical lottery games. Drawings could occur every five minutes.

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