So… the GOP compromise on transportation has won approval in both the Senate and House of Delegates. The bill now goes to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who has expressed major reservations about it. In a press release yesterday, he stated:
When the final conference report on a long-term revenue package for transportation was developed, too few people were involved, and as a result, the bill on its way to my desk is not only insufficient to address Virginia’s needs, but contains numerous issues to address. I will use the 30 days between now and the reconvened session on April 4 to consult with legislators, local elected officials, and other stakeholders to fix the problems in the bill and reach a comprehensive, long-term, and statewide transportation solution.
I’m not familiar enough with the legislative process to know what leverage, other than threatening to veto the bill, the Governor has to tinker with the legislation at this point.
Whatever procedural influence he may have, it seems clear that the Governor has lost much of his political leverage. His call earlier this year to take the transportation issue to the people in the fall elections now rings hollow. Despite long odds, Republicans shed their differences to pass a far-reaching piece of legislation. Between taxes, fees, bonds and penalties, they will throw even more money at transportation than Kaine would have in $1 billion-a-year plan. Furthermore, GOP passed their bill with a measure of bipartisan support. While six Republicans in both chambers voted against it, 13 Democrats voted in favor.
If Kaine vetoes the transportation financing bill, he will be the obstructionist. He will be the one who prevented what Speaker William J. Howell calls Virginia’s “best chance” to address the transportation crisis. Kaine can point out all sorts of problems with the bill, but his job in persuading the public, which is not particularly attentive to arcane policy details, will be rendered far more difficult.
Is the financing piece of the GOP compromise an abomination? In my mind, it certainly is. Is the idea of empowering opaque and unaccountable regional authorities a potential disaster in the making? Absolutely. But the GOP has the “Big Mo” now. I will be most interested to see what the Governor’s next move is.