LilRedCorvette
03-09-2008, 07:12 AM
RICHMOND, Va. -- The General Assembly passed a bill Saturday to repeal high fees on Virginia residents for various traffic offenses, but they are in force until July.
The Senate fell short of the four-fifths majority necessary to pass a version of the bill that would have made the repeal effective upon Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's signature.
Eliminating the vilified surcharges was a priority for most lawmakers. They became law last year as part of the first comprehensive funding increase for transportation since 1986, enacted to generate $65 million annually for highway maintenance.
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When Virginians discovered last spring that nonresidents were not subject to the "civil remedial fees" that were generally $1,000 each and up, they were outraged.
The first Senate bill filed this year, Senate Bill 1 by Sen. R. Edward Houck, was to repeal the fees and refund those already collected.
A repeal became assured in early January when the Kaine administration conceded that after six months, the fees had failed to approach the estimated revenue yield and that highway deaths had soared in 2007 in spite of them.
On Saturday, as the General Assembly sputtered beyond its scheduled adjournment deadline, Houck, D-Spotsylvania, said it was time to "put the stake right in the heart of this mistake we made last year."
Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, however, argued that while lawmakers had the power to repeal legislation, they had no constitutional authority to absolve license suspensions against people who have been unable to pay the fees.
"This should not be about what's politically correct but what's legally correct," said Stolle, R-Virginia Beach and an attorney.
Stolle's argument persuaded 11 other senators -- all fellow Republicans -- to oppose the House version of the bill. That was more than enough to deny the 32 votes necessary in the 40-seat Senate to enact the bill as emergency legislation, a distinction that would have made it effective the moment Kaine signs it.
After that came Houck's bill. It passed on a 30-10 vote, which was sufficient because it was not emergency legislation.
Both bills sailed through the House with only one delegate voting no.
The Senate fell short of the four-fifths majority necessary to pass a version of the bill that would have made the repeal effective upon Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's signature.
Eliminating the vilified surcharges was a priority for most lawmakers. They became law last year as part of the first comprehensive funding increase for transportation since 1986, enacted to generate $65 million annually for highway maintenance.
Click here to find out more!
When Virginians discovered last spring that nonresidents were not subject to the "civil remedial fees" that were generally $1,000 each and up, they were outraged.
The first Senate bill filed this year, Senate Bill 1 by Sen. R. Edward Houck, was to repeal the fees and refund those already collected.
A repeal became assured in early January when the Kaine administration conceded that after six months, the fees had failed to approach the estimated revenue yield and that highway deaths had soared in 2007 in spite of them.
On Saturday, as the General Assembly sputtered beyond its scheduled adjournment deadline, Houck, D-Spotsylvania, said it was time to "put the stake right in the heart of this mistake we made last year."
Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, however, argued that while lawmakers had the power to repeal legislation, they had no constitutional authority to absolve license suspensions against people who have been unable to pay the fees.
"This should not be about what's politically correct but what's legally correct," said Stolle, R-Virginia Beach and an attorney.
Stolle's argument persuaded 11 other senators -- all fellow Republicans -- to oppose the House version of the bill. That was more than enough to deny the 32 votes necessary in the 40-seat Senate to enact the bill as emergency legislation, a distinction that would have made it effective the moment Kaine signs it.
After that came Houck's bill. It passed on a 30-10 vote, which was sufficient because it was not emergency legislation.
Both bills sailed through the House with only one delegate voting no.