The Virginian Pilot lists its key issues for 2008 in Virginia:

- Transportation. Many legislators put their careers at risk last year to pass legislation that bolsters funding for road maintenance and construction. Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia have the opportunity to raise extra money that will stay at home for their top projects. Some tinkering with abusive driver fees is inevitable, but further efforts to massage the plan could leave Hampton Roads without the money it needs. That's a gamble the region's delegation should reject.

- Education. Lawmakers will be asked to budget an extra $1 billion over the next two years simply to maintain existing education standards. No legislative candidate argued for lowering those standards during last fall's campaign, and any effort to do so now would be deplorable. Gov. Tim Kaine's plan for a modest expansion of pre-kindergarten services to poor families is sound educationally, smart socially and prudent financially.

- Mental health. Kaine's budget outlines a sensible start toward rebuilding an effective and humane system for the mentally ill. Legislators should support his plan, but they must acknowledge that this is only the first step in a multiyear process for addressing a need overlooked far too long.

- Illegal immigration. Lawmakers should adopt measures that make it easier to arrest, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants who violate our criminal code. The Legislature should avoid measures that do the immigration work of the federal government and vilify all illegal immigrants.

- Payday lenders. The only effective way to muzzle predatory lenders is to enforce the same 36 percent annual interest rate cap that applies to banks and other financial institutions.

- Smoking ban. The science is undisputed and the health benefits clear. Smoking should be banned in restaurants. If a statewide ban fails, lawmakers should allow the cities of Hampton Roads to adopt their own.

- Gun shows. Criminals and mental patients who can't pass an instant background check should not be allowed to walk into a gun show and buy weapons. Legislators should close this loophole in state firearms laws.

- Redistricting. A bipartisan commission should be created to draw legislative and congressional districts following the 2010 census.

- Environment. The state's three citizen boards that regulate environmental matters should remain, and the panels that oversee air and water should keep the power to issue pollution permits. Shifting that authority to the director of the Department of Environmental Quality invests too much power in the hands of one person and minimizes public access to decision-makers.

- Governors. Virginians should be allowed to award talented executives with a second consecutive term in office.

- Finances. Lawmakers should adopt legislation establishing random audits of political contribution reports and requiring legislators to report how they spend their $15,000 annual expense allowances.

No major disagreements here, although:

*I'd make it NON-partisan redistricting as opposed to BI-partisan redistricting.

*On the environment, I'd be a lot more aggressive, definitely pass Chap's Clean Energy Future Act, enact a permanent tax holiday for Energy Star products, put this state on a path to become a leader in green jobs and "clean tech."

*I'd immediately repeal -- not "tinker" with -- the abusive driver fees.

*I'd back Bob McDonnell's push to make animal fighting a felony.

*Let's focus on education, health care, transportation, the environment, and other things that actually matter to peoples' everyday lives -- not divisive "wedge" issues.

*Let's tap into the rainy day fund.  If a sharp downturn in the housing market, a plummeting stock market and forecasts of recession in 2008 or 2008 aren't enough to tap into that enormous source of money, when will we ever do so?

"Governor Looks to Shape Legacy in 2008" on its front page (below NH primary coverage).