Gov. Tim Kaine and General Assembly members from both parties insisted Friday that they can still come to agreement on transportation funding this year, but the top House Republican has a dimmer view.
The Senate Finance Committee killed a bill Thursday night that implemented an agreement top Republicans reached on transportation financing. Instead, it advanced a measure that would pay for roads and transit by raising gasoline taxes , House Speaker William Howell said the two sides may have squandered any chance of a deal.
“It’s like they poked us in the eye,” the Stafford Republican said of the tax increase.
House Republicans feel they compromised by agreeing to increases in taxes and fees to fund part of their plan, but members of the Senate Finance Committee disagree because they think the House GOP plan ignores their deep concerns over using money from the general fund for transportation.
“You’ll never get enough votes in the Senate for a plan that takes $250 million out of the general fund,‰ said Sen. Russell Potts, R-Winchester, who introduced the Senate bill.
Kaine, who has proposed funding transportation through increasing the sales tax on vehicles, thinks both sides can reach an that includes elements of the different plans.
“It’s not time to pull the plug on anything or for anyone to take their marbles and go anywhere,” Kaine told reporters after a closed-door meeting Friday with House Democrats. “We have three very challenging weeks left.”
Northern Virginia legislators, who want funding to address their region’s traffic maladies, think plenty can happen in the next three weeks before the legislative session ends. Del. Vincent Callahan, R-McLean, hinted something could transpire in the next few days when the House billimplementing the GOP accord comes to the House floor.
“We have a lot of tricks up our sleeve,” the veteran lawmaker said.
Though an impasse over transportation could help Democratic challengers defeat Republican incumbents this fall, Democratic lawmakers are optimistic about resolving the rift.
“It’s still very early in the game,” Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria said.
“This is just a curve in the road.”
