By Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 19, 2008

RICHMOND, Jan. 18 -- Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw has decided to push for the first increase in Virginia's gasoline tax in more than two decades, saying Friday that he wants to raise it by a nickel a gallon over the next five years.

Saslaw's proposal would raise $250 million a year when fully implemented. The additional revenue, he said, would enable the state to scrap controversial abusive-driving fees and would help close a projected $290 million shortfall in funding to repair and maintain roads and bridges.

Under the plan, the state's 17.5-cents-a-gallon tax would rise by 1 cent a year until 2013. The plan would cost the average motorist an additional $10 in the first year, Saslaw said.

"It is going to cost the average person the equivalent of two Big Mac meals a year," said Saslaw (D-Fairfax). "Voters tell us to go down there and do things, fix things, and that is what this intends to do, or at least it keeps it from getting worse."

Virginia's gas tax was last raised in 1986.

Saslaw said he is "cautiously optimistic" that his proposal will be approved by the Senate, where Democrats have a 21 to 19 majority. But the prospects for a gas tax increase appear bleak in the Republican-controlled House, where GOP leaders have all but ruled it out this year.

"I just don't think that is going to go over on our side," said Del. Terry G. Kilgore (R-Scott). "With the economy the way it is now and gas prices the way they are right now, this is not the time to raise taxes."

Kilgore noted that the House and Senate approved a $1.1 billion-a-year transportation package last year, when both chambers were controlled by Republicans, that allows officials in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to raise taxes for regional projects.

Saslaw said last year's package, which was supported by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), failed to address the deficit in the road maintenance budget. Last year's plan also relied on raising $65 million a year from the abusive driving fees, which lawmakers in both parties are now seeking to repeal.

On Tuesday, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee moved to raise the gas tax by 2.5 cents, approving a bill separate from Saslaw's proposal. That bill now awaits action in the Senate Finance Committee, which will also consider Saslaw's proposal.

Saslaw said House Republicans, who lost four seats in last year's election, are going to "ride their 'no tax' philosophy into oblivion" if they fail to address the state's transportation needs. "You can't sit there and ignore this and say we don't have a problem," he said.

Kilgore said House Republicans are focused on making "government more efficient."

Last week, Kaine suggested that Senate Democrats should consider an increase in the 3 percent sales tax on cars, an idea the House rejected in 2006 and 2007.

But Saslaw said he prefers a gas tax increase because Northern Virginia just started paying an additional 1 percent tax on vehicle purchases. The increase was included in last year's transportation package.

"You can't dump tax on top of tax," Saslaw said. "We hit them last year" in Northern Virginia.