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Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine talks to the press after a meeting to discuss transportation issues last month with local officials. |
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.
Cole, R-Spotsylvania, said he's not sure how he'll vote on the transportation bill--it contains some provisions he likes, he said, but he doesn't like the increased fees and taxes in the bill.
Houck, D-Spotsylvania, said he will vote for the bill now.
"It begins the process of addressing our transportation needs. It certainly doesn't come close to doing what needs to be done, but at least through the governor, at least it's no longer stalemate," Houck said.
Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline, said he'll probably vote in favor of Kaine's amendments, because they're "in keeping with the spirit of the compromise between the House and the Senate, so we need it to go forward."
On other bills, however, local lawmakers aren't so willing to accept the governor's changes. His amendment to the smoking bill, for instance, hasn't pleased most area legislators.
The bill, as passed, simply said that restaurants have to post a sign outside if they permit smoking. But Kaine amended it to ban smoking in restaurants altogether.
A smoking ban had passed the Senate during the regular session, but not the House, and delegates say they're not likely to support Kaine's amendment.
"I'm concerned that the governor's amendments are possibly broader than he intended," said Del. Ed Scott, R-Culpeper. "Obviously we'll have some debate tomorrow but it appears the governor's amendments are going to go well beyond restaurants, so I think we need to have some debate and discussion about that, and it may be something we're still dealing with next year as a result."
Kaine vetoed several bills, mostly ones expanding the death penalty, and while local legislators said they would like to overturn those vetoes, they're not sure they'll have the two-thirds vote needed to do so.
Overall, legislators said they expect a fairly long but not particularly contentious session.
"It's an election year, so legislators are going to want to beat their chests some on some of these bills and amendments and stuff," Houck said. "So I suspect it's going to be a long day."
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362