Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine talks to the press after a meeting to discuss transportation issues last month with local officials. STEVE HELBER/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Assembly arrives today for veto session

BY CHELYEN DAVIS

Date published: 4/4/2007

BY CHELYEN DAVIS

RICHMOND--As the General Assembly returns to Richmond today for a one-day veto session, most local lawmakers say they expect to support the governor's changes to the transportation bill.

Sen. John Chichester, R-Northumberland, is the exception.

Chichester was one of only two Republican senators to vote against the bill on the last day of the regular session, and he said this week that while Gov. Tim Kaine's amendments are an improvement, he still considers it a bad bill.

The bill was written by a group of Republican senators--Chichester's allies in years past, who broke with the senator this year to make a transportation compromise with House Republicans. Chichester fought during the session to change the bill dramatically, but in the end he was outvoted.

Kaine's amendments raise the amount of borrowing in the bill--it now authorizes $3 billion in bonds--to be paid for by a portion of the auto insurance premium tax. It also makes changes to local governments' road responsibilities.

Chichester said Kaine improved the bill's use of general fund money, but he fears that using a portion of the auto insurance premium tax money will just open the door for more of that tax to be taken from the general fund in the future.

Chichester also doesn't think the bill provides nearly enough money to solve the state's transportation problems. He said lawmakers have been working on a transportation solution for years, and that studies show the state needs $1 billion a year in new transportation money.

"We were talking about a billion dollars a year. And [instead] we're getting $3 billion for 25 years," Chichester said. "The most disturbing thing about what we face here is everyone is admitting, it's not a thing in the world but political expediency for both parties. I just find that somewhat distasteful. That we would spend four years working on transportation to come up with a Band-Aid that has sandpaper on the wound."

He said he expects the majority of senators to accept the governor's amendments and approve the bill.

Chichester will probably be the only Fredericksburg-area legislator to vote against that bill.

Others said they approve of the governor's amendments, and, indeed, most of them voted for the bill in the first place, except Del. Mark Cole and Sen. Edd Houck.

Date published: 4/4/2007