As we enter the final quarter of 2024, a number of economic indicators show West Virginia's economy both slowing down and lagging behind the rest of the country. Growth in gross domestic product (GDP), personal income, wages and salaries, and employment have all shown signs of slowing, while business tax revenue collections are below that…
Tax and Budget
Beckley Register-Herald - Gov. Jim Justice – as pompous, pretentious and self-promoting as they come and, as a person, politician or potentate, take your pick, a decidedly poor personification of the people he is supposed to serve as chief advocate – went out of his way on Wednesday at the end of the most recent…
Mountain State Spotlight, Clay County Free Press - In mid-September, Gov. Jim Justice told the people of West Virginia he’d be calling the Legislature back into session at the end of the month. Read the full article. “I promised you I’d fight like crazy for a 5% tax cut, I promised you I would try…
West Virginia MetroNews - Lawmakers who wanted more specifics before buying into another income tax cut said they finally heard enough detail to feel confident. Read the full article. Others questioned whether the reduced spending to balance out the tax cut will shortchange state programs meant to support childcare and child welfare. Gov. Jim Justice’s…
West Virginia MetroNews - Gov. Jim Justice added several items to the call of the special legislative session, including a bill that would shift a proposed personal income tax from the 5% that the governor has touted to a 2% tax cut instead. Read the full article. After lawmakers received the tax cut bill, members…
A weak September for General Revenue collections underscored the heavy price of 2023's tax cuts on the state's budget and should serve as a warning against Governor Justice and lawmakers moving ahead with even deeper cuts to revenue. Weak September Numbers September General Revenue collections totaled $567.7 million, which is $104.4 million below September 2023's…
West Virginia MetroNews - Gov. Jim Justice expressed optimism that an additional personal income tax cut that he’s been pushing for weeks could still be embraced by the state Legislature. Read the full article. Lawmakers went into a special session called by the governor on Monday but adjourned until this coming Sunday without taking up…
Overview In 2021, the West Virginia Legislature established the Hope Scholarship Program, which proponents refer to as an “education savings account” (ESA), but is more accurately described as an expanded school voucher. Recipients of the scholarship can apply the funds toward a variety of costs including but not limited to tuition, fees, tutoring services, transportation,…
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Huntington Herald-Dispatch - Personal income taxes — and the consequences of cutting them — have been a source of recurring debate across the Mountain States for longer than Gov. Jim Justice has been in office. But Justice’s desire to cut them by an additional 5% has resurrected the topic. Read the full article.…
Wheeling Intelligencer, The Intermountain - We are months away from the next regular session of the West Virginia Legislature, but the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Campaign for Jobs Digest includes some ideas about what lawmakers should prioritize. (Hint: It’s not incredibly archaic socio-cultural agendas.) Read the full article. Economic issues are still a…