from Times Dispatch:
"This thing has just got everyone tied up in knots," said Houck, facing Republican Chris Yakabouski for a seventh term. "It's a bad idea, and it hasn't gotten any better. Don't amend it; don't fix it; don't tinker with it. Just get it the heck out of there."
Houck recognizes that citizens are outraged over the abuser fees- and that it requires more than lip service and "wait and see" positions to correct the problem.
"Drive a Stake In Its Heart"
Houck said the legislature could scuttle the penalties when it returns to Richmond in January. He said he would favor a pre-election special session of the General Assembly only to "drive a stake in its heart," but the business of the session would have to be limited to the fees.A number of top Democrats have urged repeal, but Houck's request to the Division of Legislative Services represents a further sharpening of distinctions between his party and the Republican majority, which pushed for the fees as an alternative to higher taxes for transportation.
Story here:
[http://www.timesdisp...]