House Republicans put forth '06 agenda

By Mason Adams
The Roanoke Times

GOP leaders will push to eliminate the estate tax, phase out the car tax and not raise the gas tax.

RICHMOND -- House Republicans announced their 2006 agenda Tuesday, including plans for a back-to-school tax holiday, long-term transportation reform without raising the gasoline tax and the phasing out of the car tax.
House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford County, said Republicans intend to work with Democrats and Gov. Tim Kaine to address issues that affect Virginians on a day-to-day basis.

Howell said he was "struck" by some of the familiar ideas Kaine mentioned during his State of the Commonwealth speech Monday.
"He has embraced many of the ideas we've been putting forth in this caucus the last 18 months or two years," Howell said.

Those included a proposed constitutional amendment to prevent the use of money from the transportation trust fund to pay for general fund items and the possibility of an "abuser fee" that would increase fines for repeated driving offenses.

Howell said that during this General Assembly session Republicans intend to fund and improve an "aging and increasingly congested transportation system that needs to be fundamentally reformed." However, Howell said the problems can't be solved merely by pumping more money into the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Howell also suggested that an increase in the gas tax won't find support among House Republicans. He distanced the caucus from proposals put forth by Del. Leo Wardrup, R-Virginia Beach, which would move about $1 billion from the general fund to pay for transportation.
Those proposals "are clearly Leo's ideas," and not those of the caucus, Howell said.

He did express support for the idea of tolls in parts of the state.
Howell repeated Republican proposals to eliminate the estate or "death" tax, create a back-to-school tax holiday and to phase out the car tax.

In addition, Republicans plan to target the state Medicaid system. The centerpiece of the caucus plan is to seek federal approval to allow certain recipients to open individual health savings accounts.

Howell also wants to increase the use of tax credits and also allow small businesses to group together and buy insurance in bulk.