Budget Beat

October 14, 2022 by WVCBP
Take Action to Defeat Amendments 2 and 4

Amendment 2, or the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, will be on the ballot this November for West Virginia voters to consider. If passed, it would amend the constitution to give the state legislature the authority to exempt business machinery and equipment, business inventory, and personal vehicles from property taxation. As such, passage of the amendment…

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October 7, 2022 by WVCBP
County Commissions, Boards of Education, and Public Officials Across WV Increasingly Opposing Amendment 2

Amendment 2, or the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, will be on the ballot this November for West Virginia voters to consider. If passed, it would amend the constitution to give the state legislature the authority to exempt business machinery and equipment, business inventory, and personal vehicles from property taxation. As such, passage of the amendment…

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September 30, 2022 by WVCBP
Five Takeaways from the WV Manufacturers Association’s Flawed Amendment 2 Study

Earlier this month, the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA) released a report in support of Amendment 2, which would give the state legislature the authority to exempt business machinery, equipment, and inventory from property taxes. While the WVMA claims the report bolsters the case for Amendment 2, it contains several flaws and misleading assumptions that call into…

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September 23, 2022 by WVCBP
Gov. Justice, County and Municipal Officials Publicly Oppose Amendment 2

Amendment 2, or the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, will be on the ballot this November for West Virginia voters to consider. If passed, it would amend the constitution to give the state legislature the authority to exempt business machinery and equipment, business inventory, and personal vehicles from property taxation. As such, passage of the amendment…

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September 9, 2022 by WVCBP
West Virginia Association of Counties and the County Commissioners Association of West Virginia Publicly Oppose Amendment 2

Amendment 2, or the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, will be on the ballot this November for West Virginia voters to consider. If passed, it would amend the constitution to give the state legislature the authority to exempt business machinery and equipment, business inventory, and personal vehicles from property taxation. As such, passage of the amendment…

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September 2, 2022 by WVCBP
Amendment 2 An Effort to Stiff Working People

We observe Labor Day to celebrate the economic and societal achievements of American workers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever known, and the labor movement has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional…

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August 26, 2022 by WVCBP
Counsel at First Appearance Can Protect Liberty and Reduce Jail Costs

Despite West Virginia’s crime rate and total population declining in recent decades, the state jail population has increased over that period, and at the end of Fiscal Year 2022, state jails were nearly 1,000 people above capacity. One contributing factor driving this counterintuitive trend is West Virginia’s overreliance on pretrial detention –nearly half of people…

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August 19, 2022 by WVCBP
Amendment 2 and Tax Cut Efforts Would Exacerbate State Staffing Crises

Amid multiple state agency staffing shortage crises driven by low pay, state officials are proposing to cut state revenues even further through income tax cuts and proposed property tax cuts if Amendment 2, which will be on the ballot this fall, passes. Just this month, West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) officials warned of record teacher…

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August 5, 2022 by WVCBP
Amendment Two: A Power Grab that Puts Local Public Services at Risk

Amendment Two, or the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, will be on the ballot this November for West Virginia voters to consider. If passed, it would amend the constitution to give the state legislature the authority to exempt business machinery and equipment, business inventory, and personal vehicles from property taxation. As such, passage of the amendment…

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July 22, 2022 by WVCBP
Nothing New About Governor Justice’s Special Session Income Tax Cut Plan

This week, the details of Governor Justice's newest personal income tax cut proposal were revealed. Like previous failed attempts to cut the income tax in recent years, Gov. Justice's latest proposal would give the bulk of the tax cut to the wealthiest West Virginians while depriving the state of resources to address real needs and make necessary one-time investments. The…

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