Virginia legislators' latest effort at a fiscal fix for transportation collapsed last night.

After spending more than $100,000 in taxpayer money on pay for an extra six days in Richmond, lawmakers slouched toward adjournment without any agreement on how to raise new cash for roads and rail.

The General Assembly's failure was a political setback for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who had called lawmakers into special session in the third attempt in as many years to close a hole in the transportation budget, now estimated at nearly $1 billion.

After first scuttling two statewide transportation bills, including one proposed by Kaine, the House approved legislation financing projects in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia only.

Senate committees took up the regional plan and others in late-night hearings. Signaling that the regional plan was doomed in his chamber, Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, quoted Wild West judge Roy Bean: "We'll give that man a fair hearing before we hang him."

In the House, Kaine's proposal was defeated 98-0. House Democrats voted against Kaine's plan, which they originally backed, because they preferred amending a plan put forth by Saslaw.

Saslaw's funding package included a gas tax increase, which House Democrats stripped out in hopes of having more success with a compromise. That was not enough to save the bill, which included other levies, in the tax unfriendly Republican-controlled House.

The day was mired in partisan rhetoric and maneuvering. House Majority Leader Del. H. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, maintained that the special session was a political ploy by "puppetmaster Kaine" from the onset and not a genuine attempt at crafting a solution.

Kaine's proposal was defeated 98-0 in a House vote, but it had a chance to be brought back to life. Last night House Democrats signaled the death knell for Kaine's plan, exiling it to committee.

Democrats voted against Kaine's plan, which they originally backed, because they preferred amending a plan put forth by Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax.

House Democrats stripped a gas-tax increase from Saslaw's funding package, but that was not enough to save the bill, which included other levies. The Republican-controlled House defeated the measure 59-39.

The maneuvering started early yesterday, when the House Rules Committee revisited Kaine's bill and surprised the Democrats by voting to send it to the House floor to force a vote by Democrats on the bill. That committee voted two weeks ago to pass the bill by indefinitely, effectively killing it.

Six Democrats voted with the Republicans against the Saslaw bill, including Del. Dwight C. Jones, D-Richmond, who is running for Richmond mayor. Jones said he voted against the bill because it included a little-noticed sales-tax increase to fund transportation in the Richmond-to-Fredericksburg corridor.

Griffith said past governors have tried to gain consensus to plans before calling a special session. He pointed out that Kaine did not have a sponsor for his bill in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

In a statement released after the votes, Kaine took aim at the House GOP leadership.

"The House and Senate Democrats rose to the challenge and came together to move Virginia closer to a meaningful transportation solution. But House Republican leadership, once again, stood in the way, rejecting legislation that originated in the Senate. The citizens of Virginia deserved better."

Del. Samuel Nixon, R-Chesterfield, the House Republican caucus chairman, said "now is not the time to raise taxes when there's so much economic uncertainty."

The House also passed a revised bill providing transportation funds for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. It relies on 30 percent of future growth in revenues from the ports to fund Hampton Roads projects and 30 percent of future growth revenue from Dulles and Reagan National Airport for Northern Virginia.

A Senate committee was hearing the bill late last night but was not expected to pass it.

Saslaw, responding to the demise of his amended bill, said it was unfortunate that the House GOP didn't want to fix the situation. "It leaves the state in the same mess we were in four weeks ago," Saslaw said.

Contact Olympia Meola at (804) 649-6812 or omeola@timesdispatch.com.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or twhitley@timesdispatch.com.

Staff writer Jim Nolan contributed to this report.