Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
VIRGINIA
VIRGINIA
'SnowboIIing' Grows
In State Legislature
BY ALEX r. PRESTON
Star Stan Correspondent

That means the introduce
ton of round-robin legislation
so laden with names of CO.
sponsors as to virtually assure
passage from the moment of
introduction.
The practice precludes OPEN
minded committee study or
floor debate. 1t makes the
hotel Hobbies and the smoke
filled rooms the important
places where major decisions
are reached.
Lawmakers who SNOWFALL
legislation open themselves to
the charge that they're like
the man who said:
Don't confuse me with
facts, my minds already
made up"
The two most controversial
pieces of legislation to come
before the 1856 legislature
interposition and the So-called
Moore resolution-were offered
under this Pied Piper-type of
technique.
The resolution of interposi-
ton, by which Virginia pro-
tested the Supreme Courts
illegal encroachment" on
State sovereignty in the school
segregation decision, is the
most extreme example of
snowballing legislation through
the General Assembly.
When State Senator Harry
Stuart of Russell County Of
fered the interposition resolu-
ton, it bore the names Of IS
Of the 40 members Of the Sen
ate. An identical measure was
circulated in the House by
Speaker E. Blackburn Moore
but bore the name Of Delegate
John Boatwright as chief
sponsor. Out of the 100 mem
bers of the House, SO signed
up.
Voices in Wilderness
Under the circumstances,
could there be any doubt about
the fate of the interposition
resolution? To be sure, the
few remaining opponents made
a lot of noise, but they sounded
like voices in the wilderness.
The Senate passed it SO to 2
and the House, 80 to S.
Last week. the House ap-
proved Mr.. Moore's resolution
that defers legislative action
on the Gray Commission pro-
gram for preventing forced in
tegration in the schools. It
would declare the States pol
icy is to maintain segregation
in the school year 1867.
despite the Supreme Courts
decision.
The Moore resolution had
81 sponsors. 1t cleared the
House by a vote of 81 to "a.
Next to interposition. one of
the two most snowballed"
pieces of legislation was a bill
to restrict the use of the name,
Hampton Roads, to that natu-
raj body of water to which it
has been historically applied.
Norfolk Delegate John P.
Harper got rs names on that
bill, which passed the House
last week. He wanted to pre-
vent Newport News, Hampton
and Warwick. which plan to
consolidate into one city, from
adopting the name, Hampton
Roads.
A Classic Understotement
Newport News Delegate Lew
is MacMurran understated his
case when he preambled his
opposition with this remark:
Anything I could say would
be futile. :"
Northern Virginians have
been made acutely aware of
the snowballing technique by
Delegate Frank P. Moncure of
Stafford.
After the Arlington County
school board indicated it might
integrate some public schools
in the fall, Mr.. Moncure intro
duced his much-publicized bill
to repeal the law under which
that county elects its school
board. Mr.. Moncure had 81
sponsors-not quite a majority
of the House, but persuasive
enough. His bill was sent to
the Senate by an 80-to-10 vote.
In brief, here are some other
examples of snowballed bills
at the current session:
Delegate Sam Pope of South
ampton got 43 patrons on his
bill for a sales tax.
To offset this, the entire
Senate Finance Committee of
10 members signed a resolu-
ton for sales tax study.
Delegate Julian Rutherford
of Roanoke got rs names on
his House resolution to amend
the constitution to prevent di-
version of gasoline tax reve-
nues. An identical measure by
Senator E. E. Willy of Rich
mona mad "a.
How 1t Began
1t. Gov. A. E. S. Stephens,
who is opposed to the snow
ball technique, admits that he
probably was among those who
are responsible for its genesis.
In 1886, he recalls. he was a
member of the House and
joined three other delegates in
circulating a petition nomi-
mating Ashton Dovell for House
Speaker to succeed Sinclair
Brown.
Each one of us took a sec
ton of seats and agreed to
sign up our section" Mr.. Ste
phenS said. I'm less than 80