Capital News Service

RICHMOND – &uot;I don’t even know what taupe is,&uot; Sen. Bill Mims, R-Leesburg, told the Virginia Senate last week.

The confession came while the senator presented a bill where &uot;taupe&uot; was key: The issue involved sheriffs’ uniforms.

Mims’ original Senate Bill 890 officially added brown and black to the palette of acceptable colors for sheriffs’ ties and trousers-which until now could be only taupe. (Taupe, from the French word for mole, means brownish gray.)

Mims said the current requirements were too restrictive and ensured that uniforms are &uot;uniformly ugly.&uot;

The House hemmed the bill’s language even further. It unanimously rolled back sections from hat to shoe and put in place more elastic standards. The only fashion directive in the House version of the bill asked sheriffs and their deputies to dress in a way that was easy for the public to identify.

Mims asked his fellow senators to join him in support of the House amendments for &uot;no more uniform uniforms,&uot; arguing that the state had &uot;micromanaged&uot; the situation far too long.

By a vote of 38-0, the Senate approved the House version of SB 890. It awaits Gov. Mark Warner’s signature before it’s on the books–and the streets-this summer.