The transportation agreement passed by the 2007 General Assembly may sound like a solution, but Del. Vivian Watts (D-39) sees the plan as a short-term solution to a much bigger problem.
"We're as bad off as we were in 1986," said Watts, referring to the last time Virginia was in a road-funding crunch. "The plan that was approved is only additional money, it's not a long-term fix."
Watts, who has served as the Virginia Secretary of Transportation from 1986 until 1990, said the additional funding, which amounts to $90 million annually by her calculations, actually creates more debt instead of providing a long-term funding source for road maintenance and construction.
The better solution would be to partner with the Virginia Department of Transportation, Watts said, which may lead to more money being spent on Northern Virginia roads.
"For voters to be told there's a solution, we've passed this great, big plan, it's most unfortunate," she said. "It's an additional $90 million a year from the state. That's it. That's as high as it can be because of the money that went into maintenance didn't bring us back to point where we were at when maintenance started taking money from construction. The money will only last maybe six or seven years. That's not what we need."
CALLING THE PLAN a "dilemma," Watts said she's unsure if she wants the governor to approve the plan.
"The House majority party made it clear they won't go any further [toward alternative funding plans], and there's not the will to help the more congested areas of the state," she said. "I'm not sure what will happen, but I feel an obligation to be as blunt as I can about where we are, so no one thinks we've solved it. Transportation has to be on the front burner for years to come until we actually have a meaningful solution."
Transportation wasn't Watts' only area of frustration in the most recent session. She also tried to change the sentencing procedures for sexual offenders who attack children.
"There's a major hole in our law regarding offenses toward children under 13 committed by parents, step-parents, grandparents and step-grandparents," she said. The punishment is more strict for offenses for direct sexual contact than for contact through clothing or other items considered indecent liberties, like possession of child pornography.
"We're not able to fund the changes in the law to make the sentences the same because we're taking money out of the general fund for transportation projects," Watts said.
Additionally, Watts said she had hoped for the minimum wage increase to be passed.
"We came so close," she said, before the bill was passed to the appropriations committee, which means the bill is unlikely to be approved during the day-long special session on April 4.
"There are 23 other states which have increased their minimum wage, including states around us," Watts said. "The minimum wage is far below the poverty level, and it's falling further and further behind what the average wage is."
If the federal government passes a wage increase, Watts said Virginia will obviously have to adopt the higher pay. However, if it doesn't pass, workers in Virginia won't receive the benefits.
The session wasn't without a highlight for Watts, who was able to pass a bill that allows absentee ballots to be counted prior to close of the polls of Election Day.
"This allows the electoral board to, in a very controlled way, start to process the absentee ballots much earlier, either on Election Day or in the time before as they come in," Watts said. "Especially with the presidential election coming up, and more people voting with absentee ballots, it would've been very chaotic."
Watts said she's looking forward to starting her re-election campaign, going door-to-door to meet her constituents starting this spring.
"I don't usually make a big formal announcement, it's just sign the paperwork and get back on it," she said. "For me, it's making sure you're steady as you go and staying in contact with everyone."