Repeal Of Driver Penalties Possible

Va. Legislators Also Will Consider Immigration Bills

RICHMOND, Jan. 9 -- Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine called Wednesday night for a repeal of the controversial new fees on bad drivers and urged lawmakers to carefully scrutinize proposals to crack down on illegal immigration and not succumb to "sound bite" politics.

In his annual State of the Commonwealth address, Kaine (D), who defended the driver fees last year, said they have not improved highway safety or raised the revenue intended to pay for transportation projects since they went into effect July 1.

"We must continue to look for strategies to promote safety on the road," said Kaine, who has been under pressure from fellow Democrats to end the fees. "The abuser-fee idea has flunked with voters, and we should acknowledge it and move on."

Many Republicans immediately embraced Kaine's suggestion, which probably will mean an end to the fees. Thousands of motorists petitioned against them. The fees, which range from $750 to $3,000, cover the most serious offenses, such as reckless driving.

The General Assembly convened its 2008 session Wednesday by ushering in a period of divided control. The Democrats took over the Senate for the first time in a decade, and Republicans kept their majority in the House. Over the next 60 days, lawmakers will consider more than 3,000 bills, put together a two-year budget and try to fix gaps in the mental health system exposed by the April 16 Virginia Tech tragedy.

Kaine asked for a moment of silence to honor the 32 students and faculty members killed by a Virginia Tech senior and to recognize the 28 members of the armed services and three public safety officials who died in the line of duty last year.

Many Republicans are proposing state laws to curb illegal immigration, after locally elected officials in Loudoun and Prince William counties passed such laws. Kaine stressed that the state has taken steps to enforce laws and that he will fight proposals that seem mean-spirited.

One in 10 Virginians was born outside the United States, Kaine said, and foreign companies created 2,000 jobs in the state.

"We cannot afford to let the supercharged political rhetoric unfairly paint a picture of Virginians as a people who are hostile to new Americans," Kaine said.

Republicans plan to push to prohibit public colleges and universities from accepting illegal immigrants, even if they attended public high schools and were brought to the United States at a young age.

GOP leaders also want city and county jails to check the immigration status of detainees and punish employers who hire illegal immigrants. Some conservative Republicans propose going further, with legislation that would prohibit state and local governments from offering services to people who are in the country illegally.

"Our package of reforms will make Virginia a more effective partner with the federal government in the effort to stem the tide of criminal illegal immigration and to ensure that legal immigrants are rewarded with all the privileges of citizenship," Del. Terrie Lynne Suit (Virginia Beach) said in the official GOP response to Kaine's speech.