Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-26
Bill by Fenwick
To Ask Session
Every Year
Would Involve
Voter Approval Of
Constitution Change
BY o ssoff Correspondent Of The sso.

0AC pIOHO0Cu III IICW lCS1S1dUIOII
ready to be offered this after
noon.
State Senator Charles R. Fen
wick Of Arlington has come up
with the newest version of that
plan. which involves an amend
ment to the State Constitution.
Earlier his colleagues in the
House Of Delegates from Airing
ton and Fairfax have offered
similar legislation. still pending
in committee
Two successive sessions of the
Legislature must adopt the same
resolution and then submit the
issue to the voters to bring about
a CONSTITUTIONAL amendment.
Provides Short Session.
In addition to the present CO.
day sessions every two years.
the Fenwjck resolution would
provide for a 30-day session in
the years between, such as Mary
land has. The short session.
however. would be limited to
consideration Of appropriations
or tax meaSures-bills recon-
mended by the Governor, or
measures introduced with the
consent of four-fifths of the
House and Senate. Either the
regular or short session could
be extended for 30 days by a
hree-fifths vote.
Also readied for introduction
today is a bill to give Arlington
County the same powers to grant
public utility franchises that
Virginia cities now have.
The Arlington delegation Of
fered the measure. which would
grant the authority to the county
board with respect to public
ways and streets. It is designed.
the sponsors said. to give the
county more authority over pub
TIC TRANSPORTATION.
Meanwhile. legislation making
1t possible for local governing
bodies to validate bond issues
by court order was referred to
a subcommittee.
Would Speed Issues.
The measure. sponsored by
Delegate Kathryn H. Stone and
the rest Of the Arlington delega-
ton. Is designed to forestall un-
due delays in issuing bonds. once
they are approved by referen-
dunn.
Mrs. Stone asked for a sub
committee study. after telling
the committee her attention re-
Gently had been called to model
legislation" along this line pre-
pared by a committee of the
American Bar Association
Delegate Omer Hirst of Fair
fax Joined Chairman William H.
Irvine Of the House Roads Com
mittee in sponsoring a bill to
require all vehicles to come to a
full stop before entering a State
highway, except where yield
right-of-way" signs are posted.
The law would apply to all hard
surfaced or improved roads in
the State system, which totals
some $4,000 miles.
Plan for Library Board.
Mr.. Hirst joined his Fairfax
County colleague. John Webb,
in introducing a bill to give
the Fairfax Board Of County
Supervisors authority to appoint
a f1ve-man library board. The
board now is appointed by the
Circuit Court judge. Mr.. Hirst
pointed out that the supervisors
perform all other administrative
functions in the county.
Mr.. Hirst also offered a bill
to raise the per diem compensa-
ton Of jurors from $3.50 to $40.
Senator John A. D. Donovan
Of Fairfax offered bill to make
it more difficult to obtain out
of-State divorces. Whenever a
Virginian obtained a divorce in
another State and returned to
this State within a year. it would
be prima facie evidence of bad
faith in establishing residence
elsewhere.
Delegates Omer HirSt of Fair
fax and Vernon Shaffer of Shen-
andoah co-sponsored a bill to
require heavy trucks and tractor
trailer to provide mud flaps or
suitable guards over their wheels.
Delegate George Cochran of
Stanton proposed a joint reso-
luton declaring 1t to be the
sense Of the legislature to OPP
pose conditional appropriations.
Abandoned in 1850.
This type Of financing means
that money would be spent If
1t is available. as opposed to the
present strict budget policy of
appropriating only amounts Ger
tain to be on hand.
Conditional appropriations
were abandoned in 1850, with the
adoption of the So-called Byrd
automatic tax credit law. which
cuts of the States revenues
when funds exceed the Gov
ernor's estimate by S per cent.
There is considerable sentiment
to repeal the tax credit law,
and some saw the Cochran move
as an attempt to forestall such
a move.
A resolution to amend the
constitution to permit 18-year-
Odds to vote was offered in the
House by DR.. Jack Witten of
TaZeWell