A bill that would repeal the unpopular “abuser fees” on bad or dangerous drivers will head to the House floor early next week after a near-unanimous transportation committee vote Thursday.
The committee voted 21-1 to push through the legislation, submitted by Del. Clarke Hogan, R-South Boston, though without a refund that some lawmakers had hoped for. A Senate committee passed a similar bill Wednesday also stripped of the refund provision.
Also included in the House measure is a provision that would take a 1 percent auto registration fee out of the hands of car dealers and instead have a state agency collect the money.
The votes represent concrete steps toward the death of the abuser fees that many officials believe is inevitable this session.
Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said he expected “overwhelming bipartisan support” once the repeal reaches the House floor Monday.
“We’ve heard from the public loud and clear, and we’re responding to their outrage,” he said.
The fees were enacted last session as part of a statewide transportation funding package. But after furious Virginia residents learned the fees applied only to in-state drivers and would add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the cost of some traffic offenses, lawmakers quickly reversed course.
A recent state audit found the fees have not made Virginia roads any safer and might not collect the $65 million they were projected to raise annually.
Del. Dave Albo, R-Springfield, a chief supporter of the fees, said Democrats are pushing the abuser fee repeal to increase the gas tax.
“It’s all part of their effort to create a budget shortfall so they can scream there is an impending disaster out there and we need to raise taxes,” he said Wednesday.
Republicans who support the repeal “don’t care about money for roads,” Albo added.
The change in the 1 percent auto registration fee is supported by the Virginia Auto Dealers Association but opposed by Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer, who argued it would deprive owners the ability to finance the extra fees with the rest of their car.
“Otherwise, they will be forced to stand in lines at their DMV or local government and write a lump sum check that many not be affordable and may be an impediment to the sale of a new or used vehicle,” Homer said this week.
Not all lenders will allow a buyer to finance the 1 percent fee, said Virginia Auto Dealers Association spokesman Michael Allen.
The charge, which also was created as part of last year’s transportation package, applies only to Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads residents and caused confusion among dealers, Allen said.
