Civil Remedial Fees (Virginia)

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Virginia Remedial Fees were a set of taxes enacted by the Virginia General Assembly that collected up to $3,000 for moving violations^[1]^[2]. The taxes were enacted as the method to fund a variety of transportation projects without raising other taxes, and with the side-benefit of discouraging abusive driving. However, the taxes have been criticized for:

being excessive
not applying to out-of-state drivers
applying to minor infractions like:
- failing to signal a turn
- speeding 10 mph over the limit on a 70 mph road
for driving business to traffic lawyers like the bill's originator^[3].

The taxes also became the subject of a massive Internet petition-signing effort calling for their repeal. Some legislators across the Commonwealth, aware of the intense opposition, began reversing their positions and opposing the taxes^[4].

On the last day of the 2008 legislative session, March 8, the Virginia General Assembly passed a repeal of these taxes. The taxes collected to date will be refunded.^[5] At 10:15 p.m., at least 10 Republican State Senators refused to vote for the repeal legislation, which would prevent the repeal taking effect as soon as the Governor signs the bill. However, at 10:25 p.m., the Republicans requested a revote, and it passed 37-3, which will allow an immediate effective date.^[6]