Transportation Session Begins

This coming week brings the General Assembly’s special session, called by Gov. Tim Kaine. The governor has proposed a $1B tax increase to deal with the state’s inability to fund new road construction, which he intends to raise via a $0.01 sales tax increase in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads (areas particularly in need of transportation funding), a $10 increase in the yearly vehicle registration fees, and an increase in the “grantors tax” paid when selling a home from $0.10 to $0.25 per $100 of value. The proposal is broadly opposed by Republicans in the General Assembly, and by some Democrats. Tim Craig writes about the session in the Washington Post, and he includes a wide variety of forecasts about the special session, made by a dozen members of the General Assembly. Taking the predictions collectively, it’s in no way clear what to expect in the days ahead.