Ouch. Kaine transportation bill goes down in flames

Tim Kaine traveled the Commonwealth from one end to the other to sell his transportation plan ... and today in a vote of 0-98, not one single Democrat voted for it.

Ouch.

The Republican Party of Virginia put on the following press release:

It’s Unanimous: House Democrats Abandon Tim Kaine: Minority Party refuses to consider Governor's transportation "solution"

Richmond, Virginia (July 9, 2008) – Democrats in the House of Delegates today refused to move swiftly on Governor Tim Kaine’s transportation legislation. Kaine’s proposal, which was the subject of nearly a dozen town hall meetings hosted by the Governor around the Commonwealth, has been debated both among lawmakers, special interests, and in the media for several weeks now.

The action came today when the House attempted to amend a transportation-related bill passed by the state Senate to mirror Kaine’s bill. The “Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute” was a facsimile of the Governor’s proposal, giving all Delegates an opportunity to have a clean, up-or-down vote on Kaine’s legislation.

In a unanimous vote (0-98), not a single Democrat voted to support the Governor’s plan.

Last month, Kaine called the General Assembly into special session to tackle the state’s transportation challenges, but it quickly became clear that there was little – bi-partisan – appetite for the Governor’s proposals. The Democratic-controlled state Senate declined to introduce, debate, or put a vote to Kaine’s proposal, but did send legislation to the House that would result in steep hikes in gas taxes, among other tax increases.

“Transportation is an urgent problem, and the people of Virginia are demanding we address it quickly. The action by House Democrats today demonstrates that they’d rather point the finger on transportation solutions than actually acting to move things forward. Not only did House Democrats delay action today, but also voted to prolong the special session at taxpayer expense”, said Delegate Jeff Frederick, Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia.

“If we’re going to raise taxes, let’s get on with it. But if we aren’t – which seems to be the case – then let’s put the tax hike debate to rest and proceed with many of the new, creative, and innovative solutions General Assembly Republicans have offered that don’t require us to tax hardworking Virginia families more. It’s time we stop letting this tax debate stand in the way of improving our roads, rail, and transit in the Commonwealth,” he added.