Roscoe Reynolds Authored Senate Version Of Civil Remedial Fees

When asked about recent legislation soon to go into effect in Virginia which places very high fees upon certain driving offenses Jeff Evans, candidate for the 20th Senate District said, "This was evidently not very well thought out. Of course it will place an undue burden on many of our low income citizens, and cause many more to simply ignore the law and place themselves in danger of serving jail time. Even worse, it only applies to Virginia residents, that is just not right. It must be amended as soon as possible in the next General Assembly, and I will work hard to do just that."

"But more importantly, in a recent interview with the Martinsville Bulletin, Roscoe Reynolds does not acknowledge the fact that he was the sole patron of this legislation in the Senate, claiming instead to oppose the new law."

"I understand that during a busy Senate Session things are sometimes overlooked, but Roscoe knew from the start that HB 3202 (the final Transportation compromise bill) contained these "civil remedial fees" because he himself introduced them to the Senate," Evans stated
[link to SB1196]

From the Martinsville Bulletin

Sunday, June 24, 2007
By SHAWN HOPKINS - Bulletin Staff Writer;

State Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Ridgeway, said he can foresee serious potential problems with the new law. Those consequences are that people will lose their licenses because they cannot pay the large fines, be forced to drive anyway because they must work and then end up in jail, where they will become an additional drain on taxpayers.

[link to article ]

"In that article Reynolds also said the measure was not his first, second or third choice to provide more transportation funding, adding it was unfair to call the new law a compromise, saying that in a compromise both sides get something they want," Evans said.

"Also Reynolds is quoted in the article saying, 'You had two choices, either do something like that or do nothing.'

Evans concluded with the statement, "What my opponent does not say during that interview, and the Bulletin never mentions, is the fact that this legislation, which he now claims to abhor, was introduced in the Senate on January 10, 2007 by Senator W. Roscoe Reynolds himself ".