Governor Seeks More Funds for Civil War Sites

Amendments Also Target Cost of Behavioral Drugs

RICHMOND, April 14 -- Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed on Monday spending $5 million over the next two years to preserve endangered Civil War sites.

Kaine (D) included the request as part of his amendments to the two-year budget that the General Assembly approved last month. In Virginia, the governor proposes the budget and the General Assembly adopts its own version before the governor gets a final chance to make changes. Legislators will consider Kaine's requests next week during a one-day session.

Completing action on 889 bills sent to him by the General Assembly, Kaine also suggested minor changes to measure toughening regulation of the payday loan industry and proposed having a bill restricting puppy mills take effect Jan. 1 instead of July 1 of next year.

The money for Civil War sites is designed to help preserve battlefields in Fredericksburg, Petersburg, Appomattox in Appomattox County, Brandy Station in Culpeper County, Chancellorsville in Spotsylvania County, Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Glendale in Henrico County and New Market in Shenandoah County.

Under the plan, Virginia would pay $1 for every $2 in matching funds from private groups to preserve endangered historical sites.

Virginia was the site of some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy.

In all, Kaine announced 40 amendments to the budget, including one to spend an additional $500,000 to help purchase conservation easements from landowners.

The governor also proposed a few budget cuts, including an effort to control Medicaid costs by allowing patients to buy less-expensive medications to treat behavioral problems. The proposal would save the state $1.5 million, state officials said.

"This budget makes critical investments in efforts to keep Virginia moving forward while exercising the fiscal responsibility that tough economic times demand," Kaine said in a statement.

The amendments add up to $8.9 million in new spending, the bulk of which comes from money left unspent when lawmakers completed work on the budget last month.

Kaine also wants to bolster spending for the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, which the General Assembly created in 1966 to conserve open space. The organization purchases easements from landowners, who agree not to develop the land.

In an effort to boost economic development, Kaine also wants to restore $4 million in incentives to lure SRI International, a medical research firm, to Rockingham County.