NBC29 has an exclusive interview with Tim Kaine. Key points by Gov. Kaine:*He's "very positive" about this year's General Assembly session - "virtually every initiative that we proposed was accepted by the legislature in the budget and in our policy initiatives...a great tax cut for low income working Virginians, significant investments...in Chesapeake Bay and river cleanliness, enhanced law enforcement retirements, transportation solution, some significant advances in open space preservation..."
*He's happy that his veto of the "triggerman" death penalty expansion was sustained.
*He is "quite satisfied" about the transportation bill..."we ended up getting to a very good place through the amendments I made..." Kaine specifically sites s "significant increase in funds for public transit around the Commonwealth," "a real fundamental connection between transportation and land use planning with the impact fee provisions," and empowering regional authorities "to plan and then finance infrastructure improvements, which is a very significant step forward in governance in Virginia."
*He doesn't think we can wait for another 21 years to deal with transportation again, and says we waited too long to deal with it before. "This will last us for some time," but "transportation is so important that you just can't set it and forget it for two decades" so "we'll be talking about transportation issues every year."
*He says "We're going to have to rely more on public transportation in the future" because of "worries about greenhouse gases and global warming and the price of gas being so volatile."
*He is pleased with one project to "continue to do work to take more freight off of I-81 and put it on rail."
*Besides transportation, he is very proud of his tax cuts for 300,000 low-income Virginians. Outside of transportation, this is "in some ways outside of trnasportation the plan that I cared most about." "About one in 10 Virginia workers who are now paying income tax won't have to." That's "huge." If we cut taxes for people with "really sizable estates," we need to "not forget people who are struggling to make ends meet." This was a "very significant achievement."
*He is "a big supporter of the Virginia wine industry."
*He mentioned tightening up eminent domain provisions...no real abuses here in Virginia. Ability to go after slum lords to clear blight is "a really important thing."
*He said "I don't think you need the death penalty to keep people safe" and that there's no need to expand the death penalty. However, he has pledged to carry out the law.
*He emphasized the possibilites for next year on payday lending, smoking ban ("momentum is moving on that issues"), minimum wage. "The momentum on each of those issues is very strong."
*On working with Republicans, Kaine said he doesn't "mind that at all." His working relationship in legislature "very pleasant." The legislature barely changed the budget he proposed and then passed it unanimously. "We basically were thinking the same way" on the budget.
*He admitted that "the transportation issue was tough," particularly on the General Fund issue. But, "if you go into this line of work unwilling to compromise, then you just don't get results for people....that, at the end of the day is why you get elected Governor or to the legislature is to deliver."
*What next? Health care initiatives, education in year 3 (early childhood pre-K and other areas). Year 4 will be heavily focused on the environment and energy. Preserve 400,000 acres of open space.
*On retirements in General Assembly, Kaine said that "there will be a new dynamic," but added that "change is the one constant here" and that new blood, new ideas and new energy is a good thing.
*He said he "will be very active in the election." Stressed that "people ought to have a choice." "It should be an exciting year."
*The Queen of England's visit (May 3-4) will be "very exciting...a really magical time."