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RICHMOND--
A House of Delegates committee yesterday killed Gov. Tim Kaine's transportation plan, choosing instead to advance a Senate bill that raises the gas tax.The House Rules committee, run by House Speaker Bill Howell of Stafford County, voted 11-4 to quash Kaine's proposal to raise about $1 billion in taxes and fees for roads.
The committee also agreed to send to the full House Sen. Dick Saslaw's bill, which raises a bit more than Kaine's, relying heavily on increasing the gas tax 6 cents per gallon.
"I don't want to see us wait until we have a bridge fall into the river like it did in Minnesota," Saslaw said. "Nobody likes to raise taxes. I don't like to do it, no one does. But we can't just do nothing."
However, advancing Saslaw's bill for a full House vote doesn't indicate support for the bill by the majority Republicans on the committee; they sent the bill "without recommendation," meaning it didn't get a real, recorded vote.
The result is that House Democrats will now have to vote on a gas tax increase.
"They want to try to embarrass us by voting on a gas tax," said House Minority Leader Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Henry. "It's part of the political process, gamesmanship."
Howell said he was simply fulfilling a promise to give a full and fair hearing to any bill supported by the Senate. "It's going to be voted on by all 100 members. You can't ask any more than that."
But it will be two weeks before such a vote happens; the Senate yesterday adjourned until July 9, and the House plans to follow suit.
Lawmakers said vacations and other commitments made it difficult to meet next week.
It's unlikely Saslaw's bill will pass the full House; House Republicans don't support it, and even some House Democrats dislike the gas tax provision in it.
Kaine told reporters he felt the Republicans should have sent his bill to the floor, just like Saslaw's.
"I think it's because they're afraid it would pass," he said.
Armstrong said it's likely Democrats will seek to amend Saslaw's bill.
"This is just the first step. I'm not prepared to say what I will or won't do," Armstrong said.
Also on the agenda when lawmakers return is the House Republicans' favored bill--one that raises taxes and fees only in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to pay for road improvements in those two most congested regions.
The Republicans have said all along that reinstituting those two regional plans--which were struck down earlier this year by the Supreme Court because they were configured in an unconstitutional way--is all they plan to approve in this special session.
The Republican bill, sponsored by Del. Phil Hamilton, R-Newport News, and Del. Dave Albo, R-Fairfax, would impose additional vehicle registration fees and inspection fees of $20 each in Hampton Roads, and a one-time $100 fee to get a new driver's license in Northern Virginia.
The Republican bill also takes up to $250 million a year that would have gone to the general fund. The idea is that the money would come from future tax revenues on the port in Hampton Roads.
All of those fees and taxes apply only in the two regions, not to the rest of the state.
Kaine said the Senate's approval this week of Saslaw's bill is a step forward, but he's waiting to see how the House handles that bill.
If meaningful debate and amendments are allowed, Kaine said, it will indicate to him that House Republicans are sincere about finding a solution.
"We'll tell from the floor debate in the House whether they're serious," Kaine said.
Asked if he would sign a bill raising the gas tax, Kaine said he will not veto any bill that reaches his desk that provides statewide maintenance money and money for the two regions.
He would not say whether he'd veto a bill that contained only regional provisions.
"I'm not going to commit in advance when the House hasn't even passed [a bill]," Kaine said.
But he did say that if lawmakers are unable to reach a compromise that he approves of in this special session, he will keep bringing up the issue of transportation funding until they do, or he leaves office.
"I'm not going to let this thing go as long as I'm in office," Kaine said. "We're going to be talking about transportation every time we're together until it's fixed."
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com