01.18.01

By Ty Bowers

In a low-key press conference Tuesday, Lt. Gov. John H. Hager outlined his legislative agenda for this General Assembly session, pledging to complete Gov. Jim Gilmore’s car-tax cut and push for graduated licenses for teen drivers and changes to Virginia's death penalty statute.

"We will complete the car tax cut," Hager told reporters, responding to news reports that the governor’s plan was in trouble. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee rejected a proposal to borrow against tobacco settlement funds to eliminate the car tax.

Hager called the reports premature and reiterated his support for phasing out the car tax. "It’s basic to the Republican philosophy for people to keep as much of the money they earn and to limit the scope of government," he said.

The lieutenant governor’s support of Gilmore’s plan drew fire from Democratic Delegate Jay DeBoer. In an interview after Hager's press conference, DeBoer said he wondered how Gilmore would pay for phasing out the car tax.

"There’s no sudden influx of money," DeBoer said. "State growth is flat."

Hager, like Gilmore, maintained that state revenue would support the planned 70 percent rollback of the car tax.

Poised to square off against Attorney General Mark Earley for the Republican gubernatorial nomination this year, Hager said his top priorities include working with Congress to eliminate the estate and death taxes.

"This is a work agenda," he said when asked whether his agenda would also serve as a campaign platform for his run for the state’s highest office. "I’m a work horse and not a show horse."

In his news conference, the former American Tobacco Company executive vice president also discussed the death penalty, abortion and teen driving.

Just a half-hour earlier, the House of Delegates narrowly passed a measure that bars teens from driving from midnight to 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a close relative or for work reasons and emergencies.

Hager told reporters that he favors legislation to institute graduated licensing of teen drivers – a measure similar to those employed by 36 other states. Such a bill has been proposed by Republican Delegate Jay O’Brien and Sen. William C. Mims of Fairfax

O’Brien and Hager have collaborated before to address teen driving issues. In 1998, they offered a bill to levy penalties against teens who failed to handle the responsibilities of driving in a mature fashion, Hager said.

He also endorsed a bill by Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, that could give death-row inmates more time to appeal their sentences. Currently, such inmates have 21 days to make an appeal. Stolle's bill would allow courts to consider DNA evidence of guilt or innocence in cases where the 21-day deadline has passed.

The measure, Hager said, does not weaken the death penalty, but improves the integrity of the state’s criminal justice system. "This is the best way to keep a strong death penalty system in Virginia that we can believe in," he said.

"I don’t think a moratorium is necessary," he added.

Joining Gov. Gilmore, Hager also indicated his support for "informed consent." A bill before the Assembly this session calls for a waiting period before a woman can receive an abortion.