Tax and Budget

February 27, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Here’s What is in West Virginia Lawmakers’ Plan to Cut Taxes

Mountain State Spotlight - After weeks of little public action on taxes, the Legislature’s newly announced tax compromise is now barreling forward as the end of the session approaches.  Read the full article. The deal cleared a major hurdle on Saturday as the Senate, after suspending constitutional rules, introduced and passed a plan that would cut West…

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February 26, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Senate Passes a 21 Percent Income Tax Cut with More Reductions Possible in the Future

West Virginia MetroNews - Senators introduced and passed a compromise version of a tax cut bill, spotlighted by a personal income tax cut of a little more than 21 percent. Read the full article. The Senate Finance Committee introduced the concept and approved the bill at a Saturday afternoon committee meeting that lasted only a few minutes.…

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February 25, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Senate Compromise Tax Plan Looks Much Like Their Initial Plan

On Saturday afternoon of day 46 of the West Virginia legislative session, the Senate Finance committee unveiled and passed their second attempt at a tax cut without discussion or questions and then suspended rules to pass it out of the chamber. The legislation, HB 2526, looks very much like the plan they passed earlier this…

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February 24, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
Senate FY 2024 Budget Once Again Relies on One-time Money, Punts on Future Questions

This afternoon the Senate Finance Committee introduced their version of the FY 2024 budget. Notably–to account for their plan to cut taxes for the state's wealthiest households and businesses–the Senate's proposed budget is significantly smaller than the budget proposed by the governor. The Senate budget proposal relies on one-time surplus funds to pay for ongoing,…

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February 17, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Kelly Allen: Disaster Artists Behind Kansas Tax Cuts Eyeing WV (Opinion)

Charleston Gazette-Mail, Times West Virginian - “Go big or go home.” That was the message from Stephen Moore — an adviser to Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback on his disastrous tax experiment — during a panel promoting tax cuts earlier this week. Alongside him was Grover Norquist, who famously said of the state’s supply-side driven tax…

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February 13, 2023 by Kelly Allen
What’s a Sustainable Plan for West Virginia’s “Surplus”?

The 2023 state legislative session has seen both chambers heavily focused on turning the state’s revenue “surplus” into personal income tax cuts, despite the clear need for new spending after four years of austerity forced by flat budgets. We’ve covered at length the temporary factors driving the surplus, as well as the fallacy of calling…

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February 10, 2023 by Kelly Allen
Senate Tax Cut Plan Not What Was Promised to Average West Virginians, Poses Significant Risks of Future Tax Increases or Budget Cuts

Over the course of a six-hour period, the West Virginia Senate unveiled their tax cut proposal, rushed it through committee (without a fiscal note, hearing testimony from a single witness, or any members asking any questions), and suspended the rules requiring three days of readings to pass it out of the chamber. While lawmakers repeatedly…

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