Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Lawmakers react to Kaine's SOTC address
Predictably, not every proposal made by Gov. Tim Kaine (D) at the State of the Commonwealth address last Wednesday night was met favorably by his Republican colleagues in the General Assembly though they did share a few areas of agreement.In his final year as Virginia governor, Kaine can expect a partisan budget battle on his plan to double the cigarette tax to 60 cents per pack.
"His cigarette tax proposal was proffered for what reason? It was to close a budget gap and it's not going to be very effective in doing that," said Del. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31st), who represents parts of Prince William and Fauquier counties. "So what I'm saying is there are probably other ways to close that budget gap and I predict at the end of the day, that particular tax won't be part of the solution."
Kaine projects the 30-cent-per-pack hike would bring an estimated $150 million of revenue into the commonwealth, which would be used in part to offset the medical expenses related to smoking.
State Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Colgan (D-29th) said that although the price tag is not that much in the scheme of things, it will help close the roughly $3-billion deficit.
"It would be about $150 million a year for the budget. If we don't have it, we're going to be about $150 million short," said the senator from western Prince William County. "So I'm going to support it."
Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R), who is the presumptive Republican nominee to replace Kaine in the governor's mansion, said the cigarette tax is a "regressive tax because you have more poor people that seem to smoke than others."
McDonnell, a non-smoker, sided with cigarette maker Philip Morris (Altria) by mentioning the company just moved its headquarters to Richmond. It had previously been located in New York and has made donations to both the gubernatorial campaigns of McDonnell ($15,000) and state Bath County Democratic Sen. Creigh Deeds ($5,000).
Though the company has not suggested it would up and leave because of a tax hike on its products, McDonnell called such a tax "a surprise to them" and stressed that he would rather encourage more small businesses to start up in order to provide more tax revenue.
The governor can also expect a partisan fight regarding his proposal to eliminate smoking inside restaurants.
"I think the people who own the restaurant establishments should have the right to decide what's best for their business models," said Lingamfelter.
Even one of the main aspects of Kaine's address came under fire from conservatives as state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (R-37th), who is running to replace McDonnell as attorney general, charged that Kaine's state-run agencies have been blocking wind farm creations due to regulations, such as permitting and wildlife considerations.
"We need to knock down the regulatory hurdles to utilizing renewable energy," said the senator from Fairfax County.
Cuccinelli said the Republican caucus in the state Senate has been discussing adding more nuclear power to the commonwealth in places like Lake Anna where there already are reactors.
"It's very cost-effective over the life of the system. It's some of the cheapest power you can implement," he said, though he noted the the initial cost of developing each new reactor is high.
Cuccinelli does clash with members of his own party regarding rail to Dulles as he opposes the idea and favors what he said was a more cost-effective measure like Bus Rapid Transit.
"That's a boondoggle. It's going to hurt our transportation; not help it. And that's using their own environmental impact study," he said of the proposed above-ground Metro silver line. "That's the kind of emotionally-minded, non-solution that costs unbelievable dollars that hurts all the other potential transportation solutions."
McDonnell disagreed.
"It might not be the best overall for aesthetics, but it will get traffic significantly improved there from Dulles to National," he said.
As for the prospect of new transportation funding coming on board, Colgan said that is now in the hands of the General Assembly after last year's failed special session to address the matter.
"I don't know what he can do more," said Colgan.
The finance chairman and budget conferee has supported a gas tax hike in the past but said that should be off the table in a down economy.
"Well, I think we're going to look forward to a gas tax [increase] one of these days. Not this year because things are too tough. But I think by 2011, 2012, you've got to get the gas tax up where we can help pay for roads and let the people [who] use the roads pay for them," he said.
McDonnell called Kaine's pitch for focusing on renewable energy as a way to create more jobs and be eco-friendly as a "win-win.”Lingamfelter, however, said he thought Kaine's priorities were out of order.
"When you talk about reducing energy consumption, at the same time, you're talking about bringing more business to Virginia. I mean, I think you have to balance that out a little bit and ask yourself what your objective is," said the delegate, later adding, "Look, I support renewables, but as a practical matter, that's not going to be the lion's share of job creation for somebody out there today who lost their job last week."
You must be logged in to post a comment.