UVM Sequencer base class - Virtual task using local class variables - bad coding style?

I see uvm_sequencer_base::wait_for_grant (UVM 1.1d) is a virtual task but accesses a local int g_request_id - is this not a bad coding style? If I were to override this virtual method for debug with much of the code intact tool throws an error for his local bar in a derived SQR class. I extended a SQR class and copied all the code for wait_for_grant and started tweaking - couldn't proceed with that debug due to this member being local. Should it be protected instead of local?

Thanks
Srini
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