The state Senate's version of the FY 2018 budget bill has been released, giving a glimpse into how the legislature plans to close the state's budget gap. The Senate's bill spends $402.6 million less from the General Revenue Fund than Governor Justice's proposed budget, meaning that once again, the budget is being balanced largely through spending…
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Last Wednesday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 409 that makes sweeping changes to the state's tax system that decrease personal income and severance taxes while increasing sales taxes. Similar to previous Senate tax proposals, SB 409 shifts the tax load onto working families to pay for tax cuts for wealthier West Virginians. On top of…
Yesterday, the state Senate passed SB 576, which would allow natural gas producers to force unwilling landowners to allow drilling on their property. But beyond empowering natural gas producers over landowners in the state, the bill was amended to include what is effectively a cut in the severance tax rate for natural gas production. The…
Today, the House will vote on HB 2933, the latest version of "tax reform" in the state. HB 2933 would broaden the sales tax base, lower the sales tax rate to 5%, and create a flat 5.1% income tax rate. The bill would drastically increase West Virginia's already regressive tax system. The vast majority of…
The House and the Senate have advanced two similar tax bills that make substantial changes to the state's personal income and sales tax, which account for over 75 percent of state general revenue fund collections. Both of these bills will shift the tax load from the wealthy onto working families. It is unclear how either…
Today, the Senate Select Committee on Tax Reform will consider a joint resolution that calls for a constitutional amendment (SJR 8) that would transform the state and local tax system in West Virginia. Called the "Fair and Simple Tax Reform" amendment, it is part of an upside down tax package that includes SB 335 that…
As the House of Representatives takes up repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replacing it with the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a new report by the Urban Institute finds that the AHCA if enacted would cut federal funding for Medicaid in West Virginia by $4 billion over 10 years. To make up for…
The House proposal to repeal the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with the American Health Care Act (AHCA), provides only a tiny fraction of very wealthy West Virginians tax cuts while reducing the number of Americans with health coverage by an estimated 24 million. The two big tax cuts included in the…
West Virginia grows its economy and creates good jobs by investing in the things that help communities and individuals thrive, like our schools, health care, and public safety. Our state needs tax reform that generates the resources we need to pay for these things and asks everyone to pay what they owe. Eliminating the state…
Yesterday, the House Health Committee passed out HB 2132 that imposes a statewide three-month time limit for SNAP food assistance for childless adults that are working fewer than 20 hours per week. This bill mirrors a similar provision found in SB 60 and HB 2741 that was discussed previously in this blog. If enacted, these…