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Holton Asks Lowering Of Voting Age

Governor Linwood Holton yesterday
asked the General Assembly to begin
work on a constitutional amendment to
lower the voting age in Virginia to 18 at
the opening session of the state
legislature.

The session is being held to reapportion the
state and to codify the voter-approved new
constitution. Topics of legislation proposed by
the Governor will also be brought up.

A constitutional amendment to lower the
voting age in state and local elections is needed
to make the requirements coincide with those
now in effect for Presidential and Congressional
elections.

Governor Holton also asked for a Tax
Conformity Act to make the state tax forms
uniform with the federal ones, and the creation
of a commission to study the practicality of
parimutuel betting.

The Republican Governor said the Assembly
should work out the flaws in the conflict of
interest laws if it would not jeopardize other
deliberations.

He stated he was aware of the financial
needs of not only the cities, but of the state
itself and the rural communities, but said there
was just no money available to assume welfare
costs before the last six months of the
biennium.

On reapportionment, the Governor
reminded the Assembly of a 1964 law suit that
forced the legislature to go through the
reapportionment process again after it had
already been completed.

"There should be no gap now on what is
needed," he said." The requirements are pretty
clear. The districts should be of basically equal
size along the one-man, one-vote rule. Let us do
the job the first time and avoid embarrassing
lawsuits."

Senator William Hopkins, D-Roanoke, and
leader of the urban force seeking money for the
cities, did not dispute Gov. Holton's financial
analysis. Sen. Hopkins said he felt the Governor
should earmark funds for urban needs.