It's Lawmaking Time In the Old Dominion

For Kaine's First Session, Transportation Crowds Out Other Issues

Gov.-elect Timothy M. Kaine pledged to address concerns about how Virginia is spending money raised for transportation programs. (By Sam Dean -- Associated Press)

RICHMOND -- Timothy M. Kaine plans to use the first legislative session of his four-year gubernatorial term to address Virginia's transportation problems, including traffic congestion in the Washington suburbs.

Meanwhile, he will probably not focus as intensely on some of the other goals he set for his term, such as his proposals for universal access to preschool education and tax relief for homeowners.

The Democratic governor-elect will be inaugurated on Jan. 14, three days after the General Assembly convenes for its 60-day session.

During the 2005 election campaign, Kaine developed several transportation proposals that he plans to present to the assembly.

"The governor-elect understands this is the key issue for Northern Virginia," said Kaine's press secretary, Delacey Skinner.

Kaine said local governments should have more power to control growth if they determine that it would overwhelm local roads.

"This will give local governments a way to curb some of the problems with traffic that they're seeing," Skinner said.

The idea is attractive to many people in Northern Virginia's fast-growing suburbs who believe that traffic congestion is affecting the quality of their lives. But such plans have run into stiff opposition from some local officials, lawmakers and people in the home-building industry. They say development would be pushed farther west and south to communities outside of Northern Virginia or into West Virginia.

In addition, opponents contend that local governments already have such power but choose not to use it. Kaine and some local officials dispute that, saying state law must be clarified to ensure that governments are explicitly given the power.

Kaine also pledged to address concerns about how the state is spending money raised for transportation programs by making certain the transportation trust fund is used only for transportation. He said he will not approve any new types of spending for transportation unless the trust fund is locked up.

That could be done through the lengthy process of amending the state constitution. An amendment must be approved by two separately elected legislatures and pass in a statewide referendum. Kaine has said he is open to other options; Skinner would not say what some of those alternatives might be.

Kaine also will begin putting together the pieces of another campaign promise that would affect the Washington suburbs: universal preschool. Kaine aides said that they are unsure whether the first parts of the plan will involve submitting legislation but added that the matter will probably not be central to the upcoming session.