Ten Commandments bill
dies in Senate committee
A bill giving schools
the choice to post the Ten Commandments died in a Senate committee
yesterday, according to the Richmond
Times-Dispatch.
Under the bill, schools
could post the Ten Commandments and parts of the Declaration of Independence
and the Virginia and U. S. constitutions. The Senate Education and
Health Committee voted 9-6 against the measure.
At first, the sponsor of
the bill, Delegate Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William, excluded
the government documents. But he added them to address criticism that
the bill was pushing a particular religion.
Lingamfelther said he plans
to propose the bill again.
Gov. Warner faces criticism
over sales-tax position
Gov. Mark Warner, during
a news conference yesterday, reacted to criticism of his lack of action
on proposed sales tax increases, The
Roanoke Times reported.
"My approach has
been to work, at this point, more behind the scenes -- to work, at
this point, with individual legislators to try to address their concerns
about funding formulas and issues of disparity," Warner said.
The General Assembly is
considering whether to allow regional votes or statewide votes on
raising sales taxes to fund transportation projects and education.
Warner said he plans to
maintain flexibility in the creation of ballot questions for the referendums.
Lawmakers fired up about
raising state's cigarette tax
A proposal to raise the
cigarette tax in Virginia was welcomed in the House of Delegates yesterday
by Republicans and Democrats with applause, according to the Charlottesville
Daily Progress.
Delegate Jerrauld C. Jones,
D-Norfolk, proposed raising the tax from 2.5 cents to 50 cents per
pack.
Jones said a tax increase
would reduce the youth smoking rate by more than 10 percent as well
as raise state revenues by about $323 million a year.
"I suggest this not
only as a way to help with our budget shortfall, but principally as
a way to improve the general public health -- especially that of our
children," he said.
