Updated: Democrats deliver votes to pass House transportation bill
(Correction: This post initially reported the Roanoke Del. Onzlee Ware was one of five Democrats to vote for the transportation bill. Four House Democrats voted for the measure.)
The House of Delegates passed Gov. Bob McDonnell’s transportation funding bill this morning, with four Democrats casting key votes to keep the Republican governor’s signature legislative initiative alive.
By a vote of 53-46, the House passed a bill (House Bill 2313) that would eliminate the state’s gasoline tax, increase the retail sales tax from 5 percent to 5.8 percent and increase vehicle registration fees by $15 annually. If enacted, the legislation could generate more than $3 billion over five years for roads and transit.
Four Democrats, including Del. Onzlee Ware of Roanoke, delivered key votes that helped the bill get through the Republican-dominated House. Eighteen Republicans voted against the measure.
Ware said he didn’t like every aspect of the transportation bill, which could generate funding to extend passenger rail service to Roanoke.
“I don’t like the bill; I get a train out of it,” Ware said, drawing laughs from his colleagues. “We’re so conditioned to taking crumbs that the train is a good idea.”
But Ware, like some Republicans who voted for the package, said it was important to keep a bill alive to negotiate with the Senate. The Senate will vote on its own version of the transportation bill this afternoon.
“I always tell people it’s easy to do nothing because you don’t have to think, just say no,” Ware said.
Republicans Greg Habeeb of Salem, Chris Head of Botetourt County, Charles Poindexter of Franklin County and Joseph Yost of Blacksburg voted for the bill, as did independent Lacey Putney of Bedford. Republicans Nick Rush of Christiansburg, Ben Cline of Rockbridge County, Kathy Byron of Bedford County and Anne Crockett-Stark of Wytheville voted against the bill.
The action on transportation now shift to the evenly divided Senate. The Senate sponsor of McDonnell’s plan, Republican Steve Newman of Lynchburg, unveiled a revised plan yesterday that would drop the proposed sales tax increase and replace it with 5.5 percent tax on the wholesale price of gasoline.
McDonnell this morning prodded Senate Democrats to pass the bill and allow the Senate to negotiate a compromise with the House.
“The time for delay and fingerpointing and excuses is over,” McDonnell told reporters.
– Michael Sluss
February 5, 2013 - 12:14 PM
Ware-”I get a train out of it”
And the voters will remember this childish decision making next time Mr. Ware is up for re-election.
The main issue I have with this bill is – what are the safeguards against gas stations arbitrarily taking advantage of the elimination of the gas tax and raising the price of gas to increase their profit margin. I travel to North Carolina frequently. I watch certain gas stations both in VA and NC. Sometimes the gas price at the VA stations is up to 20 cents cheaper and sometimes it is the same and on occasion the prices have been more expensive. Since the taxes haven’t changed and since the suppliers are probably the same, I can only assume that the VA stations have raised prices to what the market will bear at thast time. Since this is a free market economy that is fine and I am fine with that – I have a choice where to buy. However I suspect that gas stations will increase their prices 5 or 10 cents a gallon upon the tax elimination, so although the price of gas will go down 5 to 7 cents a gallon, the reality will be that we will have had a substantial price increase. Combine that with the increase in sales tax and car registration and this is a lose-lose situation for the citizens of Virginia. Combine that with all the travelers that wait to fill their cars in VA because it is cheaper than MD or NC and we lose even more because they will not pay tax on their gas purchases and effect get to travel for free in our state.
I think this bill has not been well thought out at all. How will we police gas stations from taking advantage of elimination of gas taxes and how do we get the millions of people who travel through our state to pay for the wear and tear they cause to our roads?
This is just a flat out stupid idea. This will put many service/gas stations on our borders out of business if the gas is that much cheaper here OR yes, the stations will gain more in profit to keep the prices in line with the market, AND poor people will be paying more in sales tax for the things they have to have. Wages are not going up though. This is not “fair”, it is not “good” and since we will be the only state doing it, it looks more like a trick than sound fiscal policy.
When the federal gravy train dries up, and it will, then we will be hit again for more sales tax and more real estate tax and more personal property taxes and car fees too. Count on it.