Mental Health and Immigration Among Priorities

RICHMOND, Jan. 10 -- Democrats vowed Thursday to rule from the center as the controlling party of the Virginia Senate as they unveiled a list of priorities for the legislative session that began Wednesday.

All 21 Senate Democrats assembled to unveil the initiatives, many of which have bipartisan support in the General Assembly, such as mental health reform and laws targeting illegal immigrants.

"For the first time in a decade, we have a Democratic majority in the Senate," Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-Arlington) said. "People ask what's different about that, and, just to begin with, it is going to be not so different because we will lead from the center."

The Democrats called for repealing the high fees for bad drivers that had the support of many prominent Democrats, including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), and Republicans when lawmakers approved them last year. Kaine, in an address Wednesday, urged lawmakers to abolish the unpopular fees because they have not made highways safer or brought in the expected revenue.

In most cases, the Democrats did not spell out the details of the bills they say they will put forward, including how the state should handle mentally ill people who are potentially violent. Problems in the mental health system that were highlighted by the Virginia Tech shootings last year are likely to be debated later in the 60-day session.

The Democrats' wish list included several proposals that probably will face opposition from Republicans, whose support the senators need for bills to succeed in the Republican-controlled House of Delegates. Moreover, the one-vote majority the Democrats have in the 40-member Senate hardly guarantees a united front on all initiatives, Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle (R-Virginia Beach) said.

"Having been in the leadership, it is difficult to maintain a cohesive group even with 23 or 24 members," he said, explaining that regional divisions and personal philosophies often get in the way of party unity. "Pulling together 21 votes on all the issues is going to be impossible."

Among the Democrats' more ambitious goals is to make good on Kaine's campaign pledge to expand pre-kindergarten for poor children. The $56 million effort has been received skeptically by Republicans who bristle at expanding programs, especially in the face of a particularly tight budget.

Some GOP delegates said they were pleased the Democrats are willing to tackle illegal immigration.

"It's surprising, but it's the right thing to do," said House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem). "Maybe they are paying attention to the public and what the public wants."

As part of their legislative agenda, the Democrats proposed helping local governments combat residential crowding, which many officials believe is caused disproportionately by illegal immigrants.

The Democrats also said they will support legislation that would deny bail to illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes and would help employers discover when job applicants are in the country illegally.

As part of their education proposals, Democrats backed a bond package proposed by Kaine that would fund about 75 higher education projects across the state over the next 10 years. Republicans have been skeptical about borrowing the $1.65 billion, a record sum.

The Democrats also endorsed legislation that would provide relief from property taxes, which have soared in recent years because of rising home values. They also said they will back bills that reduce carbon emissions, encourage alternative energy sources and preserve open space.