RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Senate has approved legislation to end the suspension of driver’s licenses of people with unpaid court fines and costs. The measured passed Friday with broad bipartisan support but may stall in the GOP-controlled House. Virginia collects about $10 million a year from people paying to reinstate their licenses after they have been suspended for unpaid court courts and fees. Advocates who have pushed for a change in the law say it unfairly punishes poor people. Opponents of the legislation said it would reward criminals. The Legal Aid Justice Center of Virginia has sued over the practice. The group argues that the law violates due process and is unconstitutional.
