Tom Herbert, running for the 72nd District (Henrico) Virginia House of Delegate position, sent me his statement on the ruling on the abuser fees, or "civil remedial fees." A Henrico district court judge struck down the fees, which targeted only in-state drivers with exorbitant fees for moving violations, and declared them unconstitutional and a violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution. Here's the Richmond Times-Dispatch article about the decision.
Tom says:
I think the judge's decision underscores the difficulty of relying on abuser fees as a fundamental part of the solution to Virginia's transportation crisis. This came about because the majority in the House of Delegates were looking for gimmicks to fund the transportation infrastructure needs in Virginia. When I am elected, one of the first things I will do is revisit the abuser fees in next year's session to insure that they are either fairly applied or eliminated.
cross-posted at Brad's Brain