University of Virginia Library

Voice Vote

The Senate voted by a voice vote
against an amendment to the bill
proposed by Herbert H. Bateman (D-Newport
News) that "would emphasize that the language
of the bill means it applies to outsiders." Mr.
Bateman also proposed that people ordered to
leave a campus, "must be lawfully directed to
leave and not ordered off by some officious
person."

William H. Hodges, head of the state's
"Crime Commission" and Senate floor leader
for the measure, said that the Bateman
amendments would "kill the bill."

The Legislature voted 21 to 15 against an
amendment introduced by Willard D. Moody
(D-Portsmouth) that would have extended the
authority to high school officials.

Most opponents of the bill questioned its
constitutionality. The bill's chief critic. L.
Douglas Wilder (D-Richmond) contended that
it "gave any college official the right to order
anyone off the campus whether a crime had
been committee or not, and whether the person
was there on lawful business or not."