RICHMOND — Virginia’s General Assembly convened Wednesday with lawmakers facing a fight over how to pay to fix the state’s woefully congested highways, with Democrats vowing to defeat Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposal to use existing state sales tax revenues to fund the work. McDonnell proposed a two-year budget that would shift part of the sales tax revenue toward roads over the next eight years, increasing the share for roads from 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent. That would boost funding for building and maintaining roads and bridges by $110 million over the next two years.
But Democrats flat out rejected that plan, insisting it was “dead on arrival.” Democrats said they wouldn’t back any plan that shifted funding away from education and social-service programs even to pay for roads.
As the legislature convened Wednesday, though, Democrats were vague about what they would get additional money for roads.
“The Senate has repeatedly sent revenue bills [for transportation] over to the House only to have them defeated,” said Sen. Janet Howell, D-Reston. “Now we’re waiting for the governor to show some leadership and for the House to send us something.”
In past sessions, Democrats backed increases in the gas tax, saying a new revenue source is needed to fund transportation projects.
But McDonnell this week reiterated his opposition to new taxes. He lauded the General Assembly for passing a $4 billion transportation plan in 2011, providing the “most new money in a generation for transportation without raising taxes.”
It’s a debate not likely to end soon because Democrats have few opportunities to make their mark under a General Assembly now controlled by Republicans. The Senate is split 20-20 between the two parties and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican, can not break ties on a budget vote.
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But McDonnell remains committed to the sales-tax proposal in the face of threats from Democrats to kill it.
“It is a difficult decision, but one that must be made to protect the safety and economic vitality of our commonwealth that is dependent upon a good transportation network,” McDonnell spokesman Jeff Caldwell said. “If the Democrats want to oppose this measure because they have another plan, we welcome the suggestions, but hope they are not acting solely on political party lines without bringing solutions to the table.”
