By Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 9, 2008; 5:11 PM

RICHMOND, Jan. 9 -- Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) will support repeal of the state's abusive-driving fees in his State of the Commonwealth speech tonight, sources said.

The fees, which range from $750 to $3,000 for serious offenses including drunken or reckless driving, were supported by Kaine and members of both parties as a way to avoid raising taxes to pay for $65 million a year in road and transit improvements.

Kaine initially said that the fees, which apply only to motorists with Virginia licenses, would make the state's roads safer. But since they were implemented July 1, the fees have generated considerable public opposition.

The state suspends the licenses of drivers who fail to pay the fees.

Kaine will not submit his own bill, the sources said, but will support legislation calling for the repeal.

Last month, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission reported that Virginia may have to issue more than 300,000 license suspensions over the next two years for drivers' failure to pay the abusive-driving fees.

State auditors also found that the fees have not affected traffic safety and might not raise as much money as expected. Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax), who sponsored the proposal for the fees, is pushing a bill to amend but not eliminate them.

Albo wants to apply the fees to out-of-state drivers as well as Virginians. He also wants to reduce the number of offenses covered by the fees and give judges more latitude on whether to suspend a license.