Thursday, February 01, 2007
Lawmakers sing same tune on state song
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roanoke.com/politics
RICHMOND -- Two New River Valley songwriters have added their talents to an ever-widening competition for an official state song. But a House of Delegates committee made it clear Wednesday that it has no interest in deciding the issue.
The House Rules Committee listened to proposed state songs from Blacksburg resident Thomas DeBusk and Giles County native Lester Ray Sears, then voted to send the submissions to state Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta County, who has led an unsuccessful effort to settle on an official anthem.
The General Assembly retired "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" as the state song a decade ago because of some racially offensive lyrics, and lawmakers have been unable to agree on a successor. The state Senate last year approved "Shenandoah" as the new state song, but the House Rules Committee rejected it.
DeBusk sang his ballad "Cradle of Liberty" for the committee. Del. Dan Bowling, D-Tazewell County, sponsored legislation to make DeBusk's song the official state anthem.
Del. Anne Crockett-Stark, R-Wytheville, played a recording of "Virginia" by Sears, a Giles County native who now lives in Nashville, Tenn. The bluegrass tune had toes tapping in the committee room and moved Howell to say, "That's a good one, Annie B."
DeBusk said he hopes lawmakers eventually will act on the submissions.
"My purpose in submitting the song was to get something that would be sung, not get something that would gather dust in a library somewhere," he said.
-- Michael Sluss
Bell's bill to ban smoking expected to come up for vote
Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, fought off two attempts Wednesday to dampen his bill to ban smoking in restaurants and other public areas.
Sen. Marty Williams, R-Newport News, proposed an amendment on the Senate floor to change Bell's Senate Bill 1161 so that it allowed an exemption for restaurants that posted a "smoking permitted" sign. That amendment is similar to House legislation by Del. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, that was passed by a committee there on Tuesday.
"This amendment takes a bad bill and makes it somewhat better," said Sen. Charles Hawkins, R-Chatham, who represents a district flush with tobacco farmers.
However, Williams' amendment died on a narrow 22-18 vote.
A second amendment, proposed by Sen. Jay O'Brien, R-Fairfax County, would have changed SB 1161 from a statewide ban on smoking in public areas and instead provide a local option. That amendment failed as well.
Bell's bill is expected to come up for a final vote on the Senate floor today.
-- Mason Adams
Senate votes to approve ban on teen drivers using cellphones
The Virginia Senate unanimously voted to approve a bill that would prohibit drivers aged 18 years or younger from using cellphones while driving.
Senate Bill 1039 would not allow drivers who are less than 19 years old to use a cellphone -- even with a hands-free device -- while operating a motor vehicle unless it's parked on the side of the road.
The bill's sponsor, Sen. Jay O'Brien, R-Fairfax County, has successfully passed similar versions of the legislation through the Senate for three years in a row now. The House of Delegates, however, has regularly killed it.
With the Senate's vote, HB 1039 heads back to the House for another attempt.
Meanwhile, a closely divided House of Delegates passed legislation that dramatically reduces the fine for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. House Bill 3077, sponsored by Del. Watkins Abbitt, I-Appomattox County, would reduce the fine from $250 to $25, matching the penalty for driving a car without a seat belt.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 51-48, sending it to the Senate.
-- Mason Adams and Michael Sluss
House panel again blocks televised floor sessions
Don't look for the House of Delegates on your televisions anytime soon.
The House Rules Committee rejected resolutions (HJ 757 and HR 45) on Wednesday that would allow House floor sessions to be televised or streamed over the Internet. Supporters of the resolutions said the broadcast of floor sessions would make legislative business easier for the public to follow.
The Senate allows its sessions to be broadcast, but the House has long been hostile to the idea.
House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, said opening House sessions to the airwaves would drag out legislative work because members would want to preen for the cameras.
"If you put these things on TV, people do tend to talk more because they want everybody back home to think they're running the place," Griffith said.
The committee tabled the proposals on voice votes.
-- Michael Sluss
