Government Affairs

General Assembly Update

January 25, 2012

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE KILLS TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX BILL

This afternoon, the House Finance Subcommittee #2 voted to “table” (kill) HB 1239. HB 1239, introduced by Delegate Putney (I-Bedford), provided for a statewide referendum whereby the citizens of Virginia would have been able to vote on raising the sales tax one cent. Half of the money, $500 million a year, would have gone to transportation and the other half to education and mental health.

More than 10 organizations spoke in favor of the bill, including: VTCA, the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Sheriffs Association, the Virginia Education Association, the Ready-Mix Concrete Association; the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Heavy Utility Contractors Association and the Old Dominion Highway Contractors Association.  Read Jeff Southard’s testimony.

In the end, Delegate Putney asked that the bill be “carried over” until next year, but that too was rejected.

Subcommittee members voting to “table” (kill) the bill were: Subcommittee Chairman Tim Hugo (R- Centreville); Lee Ware (R-Powhatan); Kathy Byron (R-Lynchburg); Dick Anderson (R-Woodbridge); Scott Garrett (R-Lynchburg); and, Richard Bell (R-Staunton).

Subcommittee members voting against “tabling” (killing) the bill were: Vivian Watts (D-Annandale); Lynwood Lewis (D-Accomac); Mark Keam (D-Vienna); and Mathew James (D-Portsmouth).