Associated Press

Archives Reprint

    RICHMOND - Gov. Mark Warner liked a bill that cracks down on summer camps for nude juveniles so much that he offered only a clarifying amendment to it Thursday, then announced what he'd done without sparing a pun.

    "I support the bottom line intent of this bill," the Democratic governor wrote in a brief, tongue-in-cheek commentary full of double entendre.

    "This bill has been the butt of many jokes, so with naked admiration for its patron, I am offering this amendment," his missive concluded.

    The patron, Del. Jack Reid, R-Henrico County, introduced the bill after a weeklong summer camp was held last June for nude children ages 11 to 18 at Southampton County's White Tail Park nudist community.

    "Stripped to its bare essence," as Warner wrote, the bill bars the state Department of Health from licensing any hotel, summer camp or campground that holds activities for nude minors whose parents or guardians are not "registered for or otherwise accompanying the juvenile."

    White Tail's owner and manager, Bob Roche, found no humor in Warner's wordsmithing and said the amendment would hurt his business.

    "It's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen a governor do," Roche said in a telephone interview from White Tail, home to 35 families year-round and 140 part time.

    He said Warner's amendment is unconstitutional and he intends to sue to overturn it.

   On the Net:

   Details on HB158:

   http://leg1.state.va.us

   /041/bil.htm

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