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nor’s greatest success and revealed the limited influence of the Democratic leadership, which caved in to Allen’s pressure during the session’s waning days.
Allen also won big after lawmakers at the last minute followed his demand for an abortion notification bill. The legislation, which has faced death for years and which Allen campaigned i for last fall, requires girls under 16 to notify an adult family member before seeking an abortion.
“We made remarkable progress together,” Allen said in statement to lawmakers. “We have shown the people of Virginia that we can rise above partisanship and act decisively to bring about the honest change they want. It is amazing what can be accomplished when there is no concern about who gets credit.”
The legislature, although dominated by Disney and a new GOP administration, enacted some of toughest drunk-driving laws in the nation and a landmark welfare reform package which may become a model for the country.
To combat drunk drivers, lawmakers lowered the blood-alcohol level from .10 to .08. And such drivers will loose their licenses for seven days after arrest. The welfare reform legislation, pushed by Lt. Gov. Donald Beyer, limits welfare payments to two years, but offers job training and child care.
With crime a top concern among voters, lawmakers made three-time convicted felons ineligible for parole, lowered the age at which a juvenile can be tried as an adult from 15 to 14 and permitted judges to sentence a juvenile for some crimes up to seven years from the current maximum of 12 months. '
To Allen’s credit, lawmakers layed the groundwork for special fall session to debate the governor’s calls to abolish parole and reform the state’s sentencing policies. LawmakSee
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