From the Virginian-Pilot comes word that former Virginia governor and current Richmond lawyer Linwood Holton plans to discuss his life in politics at a Norfolk bookstore on June 17.
It’s official. The civil remedial fees for motorists convicted of driving crimes ended today with the signature of Gov. Tim Kaine on Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1243.
The emergency legislation provides for refunds for those who have already paid a portion of the fees and excuses them from further payment. It even provides that a license can’t be suspended for failure to pay the fee. Motorists are still liable, however, for the fines and costs associated with the underlying criminal offense.
The law required motorists convicted of traffic felonies and misdemeanors to pay $750 to $3,000 over 26 months in three installments. The fees drew little notice when they were enacted as a relatively small part of a package to fund state transportation projects but was attacked after publicity when it took effect in July. They generated a firestorm of opposition over their high cost and their application to Virginians but not to out-of-state drivers.
It also became obvious that they would generate only a fraction of the $65 million annually they were originally expected to produce.
“In the earnestness of trying to solve the transportation issue, a mistake was made,” said Senator Edd Houck, the sponsor of SB 1. “This was simply the wrong way to go about funding transportation. And today is the day we correct all that.”
The governor issued a press release and another statement explaining it all.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed today to spend almost $42 million to improve the state’s mental health system.
Kaine made it clear that the proposals are a direct response to the massacre at Virginia Tech in April and to the recommendations of a review panel he appointed to study the incident.
“The tragedy at Virginia Tech in April of this year has drawn attention to our mental health care system in an unprecedented way,” he said at a press conference while flanked by legislators from both parties. “Now is the time for us to work together to make the changes and to provide the funding and the accountability our mental health system needs.”
A press release from the governor’s office has the details of the proposal.
