CCAN applauds 10-5 Finance Committee vote as a win for the environment and climate change solutions in Richmond
RICHMOND–This morning the Senate Finance Committee voted 10-5 across party lines to advance legislation to repeal the hybrid car tax (SB 127). Dawone Robinson, Virginia Policy Coordinator at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, issued the following statement:
“The Finance Committee’s bipartisan rebuke of the hybrid car tax is a good first step towards repealing this unfair and arbitrary policy once and for all. The hybrid tax was wrong all along because it unfairly targets Virginians who are trying to do their part to reduce their carbon footprint. It makes absolutely no policy sense, either, considering certain non-hybrid vehicles get better gas mileage than certain hybrids.
“We’re hopeful that, as the bill comes to the floor, the rest of the Senate will take the lead of the Democrats and Republicans on the Finance Committee and vote ‘yes’ on repeal. This legislation will not only repeal the hybrid tax but also refund hybrid owners who have already prepaid the $64 fee for the registration year beginning July 1, 2014.
“By repealing the hybrid car tax in 2014, the General Assembly has a chance for a fresh start – to get serious about advancing urgently needed solutions to climate change and to stop taking steps backwards.”
The ten Finance Committee members voting to repeal the hybrid tax were: Sen. Janet Howell (D-32), Sen. Richard Saslaw (D-32), Sen. Henry Marsh (D-16), Sen. Louise Lucas (D-18), Sen. Stephen Newman (R-23), Sen. Frank Ruff (R-15), Sen. Frank Wagner (R-7), Sen. Ryan McDougle (R-4), Sen. Jill Vogel (R-27) and Sen. Charles Carrico (R-40).
The five committee members who voted against repeal were: Sen. Charles Colgan (D-29), Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-24), Sen. Walter Stosch (R-12), Sen. John Watkins (R-10), and Sen. Thomas Norment (R-3).
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