Obenshain Pulls Transportation Amendment
Senator Sought A Constitutional ‘Lockbox’ For Funding
Posted: February 2, 2013
HARRISONBURG — The Senate on Friday removed from consideration a constitutional amendment creating a “lockbox” for the state’s transportation fund.
Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, sought to create a means that would prevent the General Assembly from tapping into transportation funds for other initiatives. He says the state must protect the transportation trust fund from future raids, given the shortage of money long term.
Officials say Virginia is on track to be unable to match federal dollars for new construction by 2017.
But Obenshain pulled his resolution Friday after it was amended to include prohibiting any general fund revenues, including surplus monies, from being spent on road projects.
Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, proposed the amendment, which passed with a 22-17 vote.
Obenshain blamed the 20 Senate Democrats who unanimously voted for the amendment for not viewing transportation as a funding priority.
“If we’ve got a transportation crisis and this gang won’t even let us spend the leftover surplus [on it] … those two don’t add up,” he said. “[A surplus] is a great opportunity for us to spend the found money at the end of the year on roads.”
Two Republicans also supported McEachin’s change: Sen. John Watkins, R-Midlothian, and Sen. Tommy Norment, R-Williamsburg.
“It is a philosophical issue,” Obenshain said. “I don’t take votes personally.”
Still, even if the vote had been split among the evenly divided Senate, a constitutional amendment requires a majority in the chamber for it to be approved. Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican, cannot break ties on proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution.
Calls to Democratic senators or a party spokesman were not immediately returned Friday afternoon for a response to Obenshain’s comments. They often cite the preference to keep funding for other nontransportation priorities, particularly education, intact in the general fund.
“We need a statewide solution to fix our transportation crisis, but we cannot and must not fund it on the backs of our children and people who rely on other core services funded by the general fund,” McEachin said in a recent press release.
Contact Preston Knight at 574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com
Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, sought to create a means that would prevent the General Assembly from tapping into transportation funds for other initiatives. He says the state must protect the transportation trust fund from future raids, given the shortage of money long term.
Officials say Virginia is on track to be unable to match federal dollars for new construction by 2017.
But Obenshain pulled his resolution Friday after it was amended to include prohibiting any general fund revenues, including surplus monies, from being spent on road projects.
Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, proposed the amendment, which passed with a 22-17 vote.
Obenshain blamed the 20 Senate Democrats who unanimously voted for the amendment for not viewing transportation as a funding priority.
“If we’ve got a transportation crisis and this gang won’t even let us spend the leftover surplus [on it] … those two don’t add up,” he said. “[A surplus] is a great opportunity for us to spend the found money at the end of the year on roads.”
Two Republicans also supported McEachin’s change: Sen. John Watkins, R-Midlothian, and Sen. Tommy Norment, R-Williamsburg.
“It is a philosophical issue,” Obenshain said. “I don’t take votes personally.”
Still, even if the vote had been split among the evenly divided Senate, a constitutional amendment requires a majority in the chamber for it to be approved. Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican, cannot break ties on proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution.
Calls to Democratic senators or a party spokesman were not immediately returned Friday afternoon for a response to Obenshain’s comments. They often cite the preference to keep funding for other nontransportation priorities, particularly education, intact in the general fund.
“We need a statewide solution to fix our transportation crisis, but we cannot and must not fund it on the backs of our children and people who rely on other core services funded by the general fund,” McEachin said in a recent press release.
Contact Preston Knight at 574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com