THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 11, 1996 TAG: 9602110104
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BRIAN KELLEY, LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
After surviving a bruising re-election bid in November, House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell wanted to make it illegal to distribute false campaign ads about a candidate.
He introduced a bill that would allow a candidate to seek civil damages for three times the cost of responding to an inaccurate campaign ad.
On Saturday, the measure died when the House Privileges and Elections Committee declined to send it to the full House.
The committee had combined Cranwell's measure with a similar bill introduced by Del. Robert McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach. McDonnell's version included a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for false campaign statements and ads.
Committee members debated the bill's free-speech implications. Some expressed concern that under such a law, candidates would routinely sue their opponents just before Election Day as a publicity stunt.
``The bottom line on this is it's an incumbent protection plan,'' said Del. John Watkins, R-Chesterfield County.
Cranwell said he has seen a trend toward campaign materials that mislead people, misrepresent voting records or lie.
``People don't know who in the heck to believe anymore,'' Cranwell said. ``That's having a negative impact on the entire electoral process because people are losing confidence. . . . Whether this is the answer, I do not know. But I know that we've got to try something.''
The Privileges and Elections Committee did send to the full House a measure that would limit individual campaign contributions to $5,000 for statewide office and $1,000 for General Assembly races. Political action committees would be limited to giving $10,000 to statewide office contenders and $2,500 per legislative candidate.
The bill would not, however, limit the amount a person or PAC could give to a political party. Nor would it limit the amount a party could collect from individuals or PACS and then distribute to a candidate. The committee rejected a bill with stricter limits.
On the House floor Saturday, a bill to bring Virginia into compliance with the federal motor-voter law received tentative approval, 74-25, after being amended to remove its emergency status. That means the law wouldn't take effect until July 1, after the Republican U.S. Senate primary in June. But it would be in place for the presidential and general election in November.
The Senate approved a similar measure Friday.
The bill, set for final passage Monday, would allow Virginia voters to register by mail and at certain government agencies, such as Department of Motor Vehicle offices.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY by CNB