Budget Beat

May 7, 2021 by WVCBP
Criminal Justice Policy and the 2021 Legislative Session

The 2021 West Virginia legislative session ended last month, and now that the majority of the bills have been signed by the governor or passed into law without his signature, we can take stock of how criminal justice policies fared at the Capitol. Our newest blog post provides a recap of criminal justice bills that were introduced and…

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April 30, 2021 by WVCBP
Health Policy, the Social Safety Net, and the 2021 Legislative Session

Amid a public health emergency, the 2021 state legislative session presented a unique opportunity to improve health and wellness outcomes across West Virginia. This year, delegates and senators introduced several bills related to health care and the social safety net that will impact families across the state, especially those with lower incomes. While some bills…

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April 23, 2021 by WVCBP
Congress Should Prioritize Long-term Extensions of Critical Family Supports, Along with Additional Care Infrastructure

The health and economic impacts of COVID-19 have exacerbated longstanding economic inequities faced by West Virginians. Thankfully, the recent stimulus and rescue packages have shown us a way to rebuild from the pandemic by investing in families. In particular, the expansions of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the American Rescue Plan (ARP)…

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April 9, 2021 by WVCBP
Latest Senate Income Tax Elimination Bill Still Cuts Taxes for the Wealthy While Raising Taxes for Everyone Else and Slashing the Budget, House has Not Yet Concurred

Wednesday night, the full WV Senate took up HB 3300, the House-originated personal income tax cut plan, and made a significant amendment before quickly passing the bill. Senators voted on the legislation without having had adequate time to fully discuss and comprehend its far-reaching implications -- a reckless action given that the bill would impact every…

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April 2, 2021 by WVCBP
HB 3300, the WV House Plan to Eliminate the State Personal Income Tax Crosses Over to Senate, Significant Changes on the Table

This week, the Senate Finance Committee took up HB 3300, the House’s personal income tax cut plan, and made significant changes before quickly passing it out of committee. Unlike the House plan, which phased out the income tax over time with no revenue offsets, the Senate’s plan is more similar to the governor’s proposal, making a…

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March 26, 2021 by WVCBP
Two Personal Income Tax Cuts Now on the Table, Both Disproportionately Benefit the Wealthy and Create Gaping Budget Holes

Two plans to eliminate West Virginia's state income tax are now under consideration, one proposed by Governor Justice and the other by the West Virginia House of Delegates. The two proposals differ significantly, but they both disproportionately benefit the wealthiest West Virginians and create vast holes in the state budget, necessitating massive, painful cuts to critical public services. The…

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March 5, 2021 by WVCBP
Gov. Justice’s Proposal to Reduce PIT Shifts Taxes to Low- and Middle-Income Families, While Still Necessitating Cuts to Public Services

Yesterday, Governor Jim Justice unveiled his long-awaited proposal to reduce the state personal income tax. As currently structured, it would raise West Virginia’s sales tax to 7.9 percent, making it the highest state sales tax in the country, and effectively making our combined state and local sales tax rate 8.4 percent, higher than that of any of our surrounding…

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February 26, 2021 by WVCBP
TANF Drug Use Screening Harmful to Low-Income West Virginians

SB 387 is currently being considered by the West Virginia Senate. This bill would make applicants who test positive for drugs or refuse a drug test ineligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance. Our new blog post from health policy analyst Rhonda Rogombé explains how such a policy choice would further stigma, harm vulnerable…

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