Budget Beat

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…

Read More
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…

Read More
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…

Read More
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…

Read More
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…

Read More
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…

Read More
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…

Read More
July 15, 2022 by WVCBP
Five Ways to Use West Virginia’s Revenue Surplus to Help Families and Workers

West Virginia ended Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 with revenues coming in at $1.3 billion above estimates. And while that surplus is largely a mirage built on low revenue estimates, unexpectedly high energy prices, and unprecedented amounts of federal aid and budget support, it does present an opportunity to make much-needed investments in the people of West Virginia while addressing longstanding needs. Unfortunately, both the…

Read More
July 8, 2022 by WVCBP
Remaining ARPA Funds Should Be Spent on Needs of Residents and Those Disproportionately Impacted by Pandemic

In the spring of 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to address the ongoing economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to historic reductions in child poverty through the expanded Child Tax Credit, ARPA’s Fiscal Recovery Funds to states and localities were among the most impactful parts of the legislation. In West Virginia,…

Read More
July 1, 2022 by WVCBP
The Fall of Roe Will Disproportionately Harm Low-income West Virginians

Abortion is and always has been an economic issue. In the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the last remaining abortion provider in West Virginia has been forced to cease providing these critical and lifesaving health care services. With safe, legal abortion in the state now fully inaccessible, we know that low-income people…

Read More