making it click: day 2 part 1
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/29/2019 Making It Click: Day 2 Part 1
1/1
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA $1.00
The primary problem
CHRISTINA OCONNOR | Special to The Roanoke Times
Officer Donnie Cromer gathers information after stopping a driver for a moving traffic violation in Christiansburg. During specialDMV-funded patrols by Christiansburg police, officers stop drivers for traffic offenses generally and snag plenty of the unbelted.
WASHINGTON The JusticeDepartment stayed silent when Indi-ana and Washington state strengthenedtheir voter identification rules. But whenGeorgia, Virginia and Texas lawmakerswanted to do the same, they needed fed-eral approval.
Now, this d ifferent treatment for d if-ferent states will face a make-or-breaktest at the Supreme Court. In a potential-ly landmark case, justices will considerWednesday whether its time to disman-tle a key plank of the historic 1965 VotingRights Act.
Passed when state-sanctioned rac-ism was at its most insidious, the VotingRights Act contains multiple elementsdesigned to root out discriminatory prac-tices. The entire law, originally spanning19 sections, is not at risk of repeal in thecase being heard Wednesday. Instead, thecase arising out of Shelby County, Ala.,
WASHINGTON Doctors shouldavoid 90 medical procedures that are per-formed regularly but often cost too muchor do little good, according to a new list ofexpert recommendations.
The ABIM Foundation said it releasedits medical donts to help doctors andpatients choose wisely and reduce healthcare costs.
Some examples: Physicians shouldntuse feeding tubes for patients with
advanced dementia or automaticallyorder CT scans to evaluate childrensminor head injuries.
More is not always better, said Dan-iel Wolfson, the executive vice presidentof the foundation, which is affiliated withthe American Board of Internal Medicine.The current question is what not to dobecause it is wasteful or has side effects.
The nonprofit American Board of
RICHMOND In the winter of2003, advocates fighting for pri-mary enforcement of Virginiasseat belt law had a long-soughtvictory in their grasp.
Both Republican-controlledhouses of the Gen-eral Assemblypassed legislationthat would allowpolice to ticket adriver or passengerfor not wearing aseat belt, even if noother traffic offensetook place. Whenthe bill squeakedthrough a sharplydivided House ofDelegates, Vir-ginias Democrat-ic governor waspoised to celebratea major legislativevictory.
But one day afterthe House passed the bill, three Republicandelegates switched their votes and killedthe legislation, preventing it from getting tothen-Gov. Mark Warners desk. No primary
Justicesto revisitpart of
voting act
90 new dontssuggested by
medical group
See COURT, 12
See MEDICAL, 12
See LAWMAKERS, 4
McClatchy-Tribune
By Anne-Kathrin Gerstlauer
McClatchy-Tribune
By Michael Sluss
Changes to parts of the VotingRights Act of 1965 could affectVirginia and other Southern states.
MAKING IT CLICKLIVES ON THE LINE
Motorists in Virginia can be fined for failing to buckle up only if they
are ticketed for another offense. The penalty is a mere $25. Seat-belt
advocates are calling for a tougher law forcing motorists to buckle up.
On a recent morning, Christiansburgpolice Officer Donnie Cromer was patrol-ling on overtime paid for by a seat belt
safety grant when he spotted a concernnear New River Valley Mall.
The handle of an infant seat was stick-ing up in the rear of a car, a potential signof improper installation. But as Cromerpositioned himself to get a closer look, thedriver turned right from the through-laneof westbound Peppers Ferry Road ontonorthbound Franklin Street.
Cromer stopped the motorist for theturn.
When he got to the drivers window,
Cromer spied another problem. Neitherthe driver nor her front-seat companionwas wearing a seat belt.
Out of Cromers ticket book came twoseat belt tickets, one for each adult.
The driver got a warning for the turnand a child seat issue.
A ticket for not wearing a seat belt mayappear to be a mundane event, particularlywhen its a secondary offense punishableonly when a driver is stopped for anoth-er possible offense. But Christiansburgpolice say the gains from seat belt stingsare extraordinary. At last count, the belt-ing rate in the town was running about 10points higher than the state average.
The departments leadership says every-
For Christiansburg,seat belt safety is a cause
See CHRISTIANSBURG, 5
By Je [email protected]
981-1661
Police say a town campaign has changed the culture of seat belt use.
RULES STRICTER ON THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
Seat belt laws are stricter on federal roads than on state roads. Case in
point: Seat belts are required in the front and back seat of vehicles for all
ages on the Blue Ridge Parkways many miles in Virginia. The National
Park Service enforces the law as a primary offense, meaning a driver can
be pulled over for any belt violation observed. The fine is $25 for front-seat
violations and $10 for rear-seat violations.
Bridge - Classied 9 | Comics - Extra 4 | Crossword - Extra 5 | Lottery - News 6 | Obituaries - News 7 | TV Listings - Extra 2 | Classied - Sports 8 6 545527 08554
NATION & WORLD PAGE 3
Parties point fngers overimpending budget cuts
VIRGINIA PAGE 6
Coin collectors, dealers gather inSalem to add to their collections
average rate of use in stateswith primary enforcement
average rate of use in stateswith secondary enforcement
average rate ofuse in Virginia
89.1% 81.5% 81.8%SEAT BELT USE IN 2011
SECOND OFTHREE PARTS
Sunday: Seat beltsoften skipped on
rural Va. roadsTuesday: Despitesafety education,young still dying
Online: Visitroanoke.comto leave yourcomments, watchvideo, read previouscoverage and vote intodays poll.
Associateed Press | File 2006
President George W. Bush signslegislation extending the Voting RightsAct for 25 years.
The current question is what notto do because it is wasteful or hasside effects, an expert said.
JOHNSONRULES ATDAYTONA
85thACADEMY AWARDSBEN AFFLECKS ARGO WINS BEST PICTURE
WINNERS LIST; HOTTEST RED CARPET LOOKS EXTRA SPORTS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2013