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RICHMOND
--The House of Delegates yesterday killed a bill regarding "wind energy drying devices."Sounds fancy--until you realize that a "wind energy drying device" is, essentially, a clothesline.
Some homeowners associations ban clotheslines, and the bill would have said they couldn't ban them outright.
It had already passed the Senate, but the House had other ideas.
First, delegates amended the bill to make it apply only to community associations in Northern Virginia.
That prompted Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline, to join the debate.
Orrock said the policy should be uniform statewide and not apply just in Northern Virginia.
He said that in some areas in his district, "they have strung clotheslines from tree to tree to tree."
Orrock earned himself some groans by adding that if the bill passed, Northern Virginia homeowners would "start screaming, 'This looks like a West Virginia subdivision.'"
Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, defended clotheslines--and the bill.
"This is a bill about freedom the freedom to dry your clothes outside," Sickles said. "And a chance to be conservative and be green at the same time.
"We pass a lot of bills about saving energy. A dryer in your house is the largest consumer of electricity."
Nevertheless, delegates voted against air-dried sheets, defeating the bill 40-60.
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
