Joint Conference Committee Report

We, the conferees, appointed by the respective bodies to consider and report upon the disagreeing vote on Senate Bill No. 561, report as follows:

A. We recommend that the House Amendments be rejected.

B. We recommend that the engrossed bill be amended as follows to resolve the matters under disagreement.

1. Line 17, engrossed bill, after held in

strike

2004,

insert

2008, and subject to approval by referendum as called for by this act,

2. Line 83, engrossed bill, at beginning of line

insert

2. That there shall be a referendum question on the issue of council terms placed on the ballot at the November 2, 2004, election. No court order shall be required pursuant to § 24.2-684 of the Code of Virginia. It shall be the duty of the officers conducting such election, at the places appointed for holding the same, to open a poll and take the sense of the qualified voters on such question. The question shall be substantially as follows:

Question: "Beginning with the election to be held on November 4, 2008, shall members of city council be elected to four-year terms?"

The ballot shall be prepared, distributed and voted and the results thereof ascertained and certified, in the manner prescribed by Title 24.2 of the Code of Virginia.

Respectfully submitted,

Senator Benjamin J. Lambert, III

Senator John Watkins

Senator Ken T. Cuccinelli, II

Conferees on the part of the Senate

Delegate Viola Osborne Baskerville

Delegate Bradley P. Marrs

Delegate John M. O'Bannon, III

Conferees on the part of the House