Kaine sends letter to Congress on school rehab tax credit

A real bipartisan coalition is growing in Richmond around the idea of extending a federal tax credit intended to spur the redevelopment of historic buildings to the rehabilitation of old schools. The idea is to give a tax credit to private interests that would use it to rehab schools, then lease the schools back to local districts.

First, former Republican senator and governor George Allen and former state Democratic party chairman Paul Goldman came together to endorse the idea. Tuesday night, former Democratic National Committee Chairman and gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe signed on. And now, Gov. Tim Kaine has come on board as well. He has written a letter to U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, calling the idea an "innovative" solution for funding school renovations.

Giving the idea the weight of the governor's office should help elevate the idea.

Read the letter here.