Fw: Skate Legal Update

[Bob Brubaker]

Looks like Alexandria is excluded...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Marshall Brown"
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 12:54 PM
Subject: Skate Legal Update


WAR Lobbyist Update - Thank's Bob Brubaker for the updating post this
weekend.

The legislation to allow local municipalities to permit in-line skating on
roadways made an interesting turn over the weekend. It is booth good and
bad.

The good news is that the VA Senate passed it, the bad news is that they
added a supplement to it.

In passing the legislation, it is pretty much assured that it will go to the
Governor. Right now the Bill has to go back to the VA House for approval.
The house can kill the bill if it wants, (considering there was a unanimous
vote for it before - I don't see that happening) or it can pass it with the
supplement, or they could amend it by dropping the supplement, or adding to
it. (In which case it will go back to the VA Senate)  My guess is it will
pass with the supplement attached. In which case it will go then to the Gov.
to be signed into law.

This supplement says that only local governments between the sizes of
170,000 and 200,000 (which Arlington is) may rule to permit in-line skating
on the streets. What this also says is that if a city/town/county is not
between 170,000 and 200,000 then they can't rule to allow skaters on the
street. For example Alexandria at 123,200 people would not be able to
legalize street skating.

Why did they do this? I'm guessing to test it here and see what happens
locally and what kind of support this measure gets from other parts of the
state. For example - if a ton of motorist call in and complain, or there is
an increase in accidents, or one or two notable deaths - then they can
decide the supplement doesn't work and they can kill it - thus going back to
where we are today. Or, visa versa,  if it works really well - and another
city wants to enact it - Lets say leesburg - all the state has to do is
change the numbers to figure leesburg into the picture. The concern is that
Leesburg residents will have to lead that charge.

So - Good News - Looks like Arlington may get it's wish to legalize
skating - Bad news is that the supplement now means we have to go back to
the statehouse (instead of the respective city gov'ts) if we are hoping to
spread the skate legal stuff to Falls Church, Vienna, Fairfax, Alexandria,
McLean, etc. Good news is we will have a precedent we didn't have before.
Bad news is we will have to find a sponsor for such a bill. (we got lucky
b/c they came to us in this instance)

So the march goes on. Hopefully by the end of summer we will be able to
skate into Arlington and do so legally.

Marshall Brown
WAR Gov't relations