VIRGINIA EYES PREMIUM TAX:

Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates plan to announce a $938 million transportation package that directs some money from the state’s general operating fund and some from the state tax on insurance premiums to transportation. The proposal exceeds the $824 million initiative Gov. Mark R. Warner submitted last month but shares many characteristics of Warner’s plan, including paying off arrears on long-completed road projects. Both plans rely in part on an expected surplus known to exceed $900 million, but the House plan would tap two different revenue sources: One-third of the insurance premium levy, projected at $127 million for the current budget and $138 million for the budget year that begins July 1, and $100 million the House estimates will be generated by Del. David Albo’s bill that imposes substantial new fines for speeding, drunken driving, reckless driving or driving with a suspended license. Albo (R-Fairfax County) proposes one of the nation’s most aggressive crackdowns on dangerous drivers. Administration officials question whether it would generate as much revenue as the House plan projects, risking unbalanced budgets years ahead.