Virginia General Assembly session brings hopeful bills

RICHMOND

Thousands of bills get tossed into the hopper every year in the Virginia General Assembly, and relatively few of them end up getting signed into law. But that has never stopped lawmakers from trying.

Consider state Sen. Ralph Northam, for instance. Taking on a product that was the linchpin of the state's economy for hundreds of years, the Norfolk Democrat has proposed banning smoking in all state and local government buildings.

His Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act, SB468, is just one among dozens of measures introduced so far in the 2012 General Assembly by legislators from South Hampton Roads that are provocative, far-reaching or just plain interesting.

Northam, who is a physician, said his proposed smoking ban is driven by a desire to protect nonsmoking Virginians from the well-documented health hazards of secondhand smoke. He said he knows passing it will be a tall order, but it's worth a try.

The ban would apply to hundreds of buildings, including the state Capitol and the General Assembly Building where lawmakers conduct their business.

In tobacco's heyday, such a proposal would have been unthinkable. But times are changing, Northam said, noting that many naysayers thought Virginia would never ban smoking in bars and restaurants. Yet in 2009, it did just that.

"People still come up to me and say 'Thank you,' " Northam said. "In my mind, the less smoke, the better.

"You take small steps - that's how things work up here. Hopefully, we'll keep stepping until we eliminate smoke."

Here's a sampling of other eye-catching proposals from local lawmakers as the General Assembly enters its second week:

- Graduates' employment rates   Del. Chris Stolle's measure, HB639, would require Virginia colleges and universities - public and private - to publish data on the proportion of their graduates who find employment.

The reports would show how many graduates are employed 18 months after getting their degrees and again after five years. The data would include how many of the jobs are in Virginia, whether they are full-time or part-time, average salary, major and degree program, and average college debt.

It's a matter of transparency, said Stolle, a Virginia Beach Republican.

"If I'm a student - or a parent - and I'm considering a certain major, I should have an idea of my chances of being able to do that for the rest of my life," he said. "This is a big investment. What's the return on my investment going to be?"

He conceded that questions might be raised about the difficulty of obtaining such data. But he said the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is developing a methodology.

He also conceded that the proposal is likely to draw opposition. "We'll get a good discussion going," he said.

- Child labor  Del. John Cosgrove's bill, HB167, would exempt children from certain provisions of the child labor laws if they are employed by their parent or with the consent of their parent in a business entity owned by a family member.

The measure was requested by a constituent, said Cosgrove, a Chesapeake Republican.

It's about accommodating mom-and-pop businesses, not exploiting kids, he said: "If little Johnny wants to be able to sweep the floors in his grandfather's shop, he ought to be able to do that."

- Dangerous animals  Sen. Louise Lucas' measure, SB477, would make it illegal to possess, sell, transfer or breed dangerous wild animals.

Lucas, a Portsmouth Democrat, said the bill was requested by a constituent. It has the support of the Humane Society of the United States, which has pressed for tougher laws after the owner of an exotic-animal park in Ohio freed dozens of lions, tigers and other animals and then committed suicide.

- 'Excessive' regulations  With HB514, Del. Bob Purkey, R-Virginia Beach, seeks to establish a tax credit compensating businesses for the cost of complying with "excessive state regulations."

- Lasers in the sky   With HB87, Del. Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, would make it illegal to point a laser at an aircraft. Oceana Naval Air Station officials have requested the bill to protect pilots.

- Territorial limits   SB80 from Sen. Jeff McWaters, R-Virginia Beach, would give the resort city's police, fire and emergency medical workers concurrent jurisdiction with state law enforcement agencies up to three miles offshore.

Bill Sizemore, (804) 697-1560, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com