Ben Tribbett is reporting that Mark Herring (D-33) has stood up against tremendous pressure and FOR the people of his district on the GOP transportation monstrosity. According to Ben, Sen. Herring just spoke on the Senate floor and completely shot down the (fallacious) argument that Loudoun County would benefit from this bill. Herring also announced that he would oppose the bill, which is a profile in political courage if I've ever seen one. Good for Mark Herring, whose nickname from now on here at RK will be "Stonewall" Herring...for standing like a stone wall against awful legislation for Virginia. Thank you, Sen. Herring!{UPDATE #1: I hear that two delegates did not cast votes on the adoption of the conference report of HB 3202, the Republican transportation plan. Delegate Jeff Frederick and Delegate Clay Athey apparently had better things to do. At 2:23 pm, Frederick was not in the House chamber. After the vote passed, he returned at 2:30 pm. This is not the first time that Frederick has skipped a tough vote. I guess we can call this "profiles in cowardice" as opposed to Mark Herring's "profile in courage!"]
[UPDATE #2: Democratic Leader Ward Armstrong and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran have issued a statement on the transportation bill.
Today, the House of Delegates passed a conference committee report that does not address the needs for transportation in the Commonwealth. The plan presented to us is a political band-aid to a transportation crisis that needs an adequate, sustained revenue source and a comprehensive plan to build a transportation system for the 21st century.By raiding dollars from the general fund and relying on massive debt, we are forcing our schools, our colleges, and our elderly in need of long term care to compete with our need for transportation.
Despite claims from our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that this is the final compromise; it is simply not. It's a compromise of State GOP legislators that already agreed before the process began."
Exactly. Preach it, brothers!]
[UPDATE #3: Phil Puckett makes a great point, "how could the transportation plan be called a 'compromise' when he was excluded from the meetings of his fellow conferees?"]
Norquist has to show his clout in state contests like these, or he loses funding from the anti-tax (alcohol, tobacco), pro-voucher crowd.
Potts notes that the House GOP's plan pretends to be obedient to Norquist's wishes, but in truth the fees are taxes; the problem is that those fees don't produce enough money.
Finally, I heard someone say "cigarette tax." Yeah, Russ.