In Va., a Last-Ditch Effort At Finding Roads Accord

RICHMOND, Feb. 19 -- A small group of Virginia lawmakers began a final round of negotiations Monday on a transportation deal that could fix the state's roads without taking money from other core services such as health care, public safety and education.

That could prove to be a difficult task as the six delegates and five senators work to appease colleagues in the House and Senate. The House has voted for a plan that, among other things, would shift $250 million from the state's general fund for use in building roads. The Senate has rejected that idea, saying the plan could threaten critical state functions.

Now, the conference committee must find a way to bridge the competing plans in the next five days or risk ending the 2007 General Assembly session in failure just months before lawmakers face voters. The assembly is scheduled to adjourn Saturday.

Holding his thumb and index finger about a millimeter apart, Sen. Martin E. Williams (R-Newport News) said, "There's about that much room for error."

Both plans would allow Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to raise taxes and fees locally to pay for road construction in those regions. Both plans would also direct the state to borrow about $2 billion for transportation statewide. The Senate plan substitute a one-time $150 auto registration fee for the House's annual use of general funds.

Williams and other members of the committee said they expect discussions to continue for several days, with a final vote in the House and Senate as late as Saturday.

That could set up a climactic end to an issue that has roiled Virginia politics for 13 months, since Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) called for a $1 billion tax increase six days after taking office. Kaine's plan failed last year after lawmakers nearly shut down state government over the issue.

A Kaine spokesman said the governor has been increasing his conversations with lawmakers in recent days but does not want to interfere in the legislative process.

"At this sensitive moment in a legislative process, the best way for us to be helpful is to encourage dialogue and compromise," said press secretary Kevin Hall.

Members of the conference committee began face-to-face talks at 7 p.m. Monday. They discussed the importance of coming to a resolution quickly and assigned groups of one or two lawmakers to discuss parts of the issue. They adjourned after about 15 minutes with plans to meet again at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Typically, such meetings are fraught with tension as the two sides confront their differences, often with little tact. Lawmakers, lobbyists and others said the roads negotiations are likely to be different this year, because the conference committee is made up of legislators who largely agree with the approach approved by the House this month.

Advocates of the House plan maneuvered successfully in recent weeks to get supportive members on the committee from the House and the Senate. That means that instead of an adversarial process, committee members are almost certain to be working closely together.