People across the state cast ballots this week in West Virginia's Primary Election, choosing the candidates who will run in the General Election this fall. Beyond helping select our next federal, state, and local representatives, West Virginians also voted on renewing or enacting property tax levies. These levies provide critical revenue for local services in…
Tax and Budget
West Virginia MetroNews - Last year’s child tax credit expansion provided families with a revenue source for routine expenses and essential items as well as funding for emergencies and addressing debt, according to a recent report. Read the full article. The Brookings Institution’s Global Economy and Development program released a study detailing the effects of the expanded…
This coming Monday, West Virginia lawmakers will hold a special session to authorize a $600 million “revolving door” loan fund touted as a way to bring private investment and jobs to the state. Read the full op-ed. While Gov. Jim Justice celebrates it as a “self-sustaining” project, it requires a $600 million up-front commitment from…
With Tax Day approaching and West Virginians across the state filing their taxes, it's a good time to remember what our contributions pay for and why it is important that our tax system is fair, transparent, and provides adequate resources to fund the public services and investments that allow our communities to thrive. At the…
When it comes to tax policy during the 2022 West Virginia legislative session, what is most notable is arguably what didn't become law rather than what did, as once again a bill seeking to eliminate the state's personal income tax failed to pass. However, a number of other tax bills did make it through the…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - West Virginia exceeded Gov. Jim Justice’s revenue projections for March, collecting $488.1 million against an estimated $337.987 million. Read the full article. In total, the revenue collection for March was $150.1 million above the governor’s estimates, which Justice has kept low throughout his term as governor. Justice again referred to taking the…
West Virginia MetroNews - Three-quarters of the way through the fiscal year, state government is running three-quarters of a billion dollars ahead of annual revenue estimates. Read the full article. “Now, not only are we on the rocket ship ride, we’re kicking back and really enjoying ourselves,” Gov. Jim Justice said in a briefing today. “We’re continuing…
Earlier this month, Governor Justice approved the budget passed by the West Virginia Legislature at the end of the 2022 legislative session. Very little in the budget was changed from the flat budget proposed by the governor at the beginning of the legislative session. While appropriations from the base budget (which includes the General Revenue…
West Virginia MetroNews - When delegates were discussing whether to embrace a $4.65 billion general revenue budget along with another possible billion dollars in surplus spending, one aspect of their focus was whether the governor would accept a House priority: setting aside $265 million as savings to prepare for income tax reductions down the line.…
West Virginia MetroNews - West Virginia lawmakers passed a $4.65 billion general revenue budget at the end of their regular session. Tacked onto that was another billion dollars in possible spending, an unprecedented amount on the strength of federal relief dollars. Read the full article. There are always additional funding items as a sort of…