Freshman Delegate Lily Franklin of Blacksburg wants to create a study to figure out a way to repeal the car tax, a frequent target on the campaign trail. When she presented her legislation to the House of Delegates.
Republican Leader Terry Kilgore was critical.
"This session is supposed to be about affordability," Kilgore said on the floor of the House. "We've heard that time and time again. And if you really want to make life more affordable, we'd start doing away with this car tax. We don't need a study. We all know what it costs."
Republicans say they want to go ahead and start intermittently, repealing the car tax a bit at a time over the next few years. Democratic Speaker of the House Don Scott says he's not impressed.
"He could have passed something in his 30 years here. He's been here long enough to come up with a solution," Scott said. "So now after 30 years, he's got a solution? So, we have a plan to be able to work toward repealing the dreaded car tax. Lily Franklin of Southwest Virginia had to come to the rescue because these guys who have been here all this time haven't been able to get it done. Lily Franklin is going to get it done."
Franklin's resolution creating a study committee passed the House with a bipartisan vote.
Members of the state Senate are expected to consider it later this month.
