Government Affairs

General Assembly Update

February 8, 2011

IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER

We have achieved great victories in the past week, lobbying both the House and Senate to adopt versions of the Governor’s transportation funding plan.  Both versions would pump more than $3 billion into the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure over the next three years. It is likely that the bills will end up in conference committee in the next few days to work out the differences between the two bills.

Despite these successes we can’t sit on our laurels!

Yesterday the Virginia TEA party came out in opposition of the transportation funding package stating:  “We call on our state representatives to keep their promise of promoting fiscal responsibility and challenge them to come up with a better solution to fund transportation. There are budget proposals out there that have cited spending cuts in other areas that could provide the needed funds for transportation without putting Virginia deeper in debt. They should be seriously examined before we take this risky and dangerous course of action.“

In addition, the Coalition for Smart Growth has been critical of the plan, noting:  “We still don’t know what we are buying with this plan and there is a strong chance that billions will be squandered with no real effect on Virginia’s transportation problems. We continue to see this as a blank check to the Governor for massive subsidies to private toll road builders. We should be targeting our huge maintenance needs including $3.5 billion in structurally deficient bridges and investing in an integrated solution to land use and transportation”.

Please continue to reach out to your elected representatives to let them know you support the Governor’s transportation funding package.