Washington Compromise is about to get harder in Virginia
Opinion Column
By Stephen J. Farnsworth, Published June 30, 2013
Forget about bipartisan compromise in Virginia. In a series of actions this spring, anti-tax activists have killed the prospects even for one-party agreement in Richmond.
Over the winter, Republican Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and top lawmakers crafted a major transportation bill — the first such bill to be successful in the commonwealth in more than 20 years — to deal with the choking gridlock of our region. With the assistance of Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) and House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford), the governor secured enough votes in the Republican-controlled chambers to pass the $1.4 billion-a-year plan, including $1.2 billion in new tax revenue.
Now, for the second time in two months, the anti-tax activists who tried but failed to block the measure have had their revenge.
