After five years of flat budgets, lawmakers returned to Charleston for the 2024 legislative session with many important spending priorities to address major needs. Members of the Republican majority have said they want to provide pay raises for public employees and raise starting salaries in sectors with vacancies, increase provider reimbursement rates, and address child…
Tax and Budget
New York Times - John Chambers grew up in West Virginia and went on to run what was once the world’s most valuable company, the computer networking firm Cisco Systems Inc. Now he is trying to help economically lagging West Virginia by making it a “start-up state” akin to Israel, which has been called the start-up nation.…
Earlier this month, the Governor unveiled his proposed FY 2025 budget, which is now in the hands of the Legislature to review, amend, and pass. Proposed and enacted tax cuts continue to crowd out long-needed spending priorities in Governor Justice's budget, which once again relies on one-time surplus revenue that will likely soon dry up…
WOWK - On this week’s episode of Inside West Virginia Politics, we talk about the budget, the Charleston State of the City address, the roadblocks to Governor Justice’s budget proposal and Charleston’s Restaurant Week. Watch the full segment. In Segment One, we talk to West Virginia District 1 Representative Carol Miller (R) about how she…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - On this West Virginia Morning, state lawmakers are mulling over countless tax proposals that would directly affect West Virginians and their wallets. On Friday’s episode of The Legislature Today, Randy Yohe spoke with House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, and Kelly Allen, the executive director at the West Virginia Center on Budget &…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - On this episode of The Legislature Today, lawmakers are mulling over countless tax proposals that would directly affect West Virginians and their wallets. Randy Yohe sat down with Kelly Allen, the executive director at the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, to discuss budgets…
WOWK - A storm is brewing over West Virginia’s proposed state budget for the coming year. Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) says his numbers are solid, but critics aren’t so sure. Read the full article. We are just 16 days into the legislative session, so the number crunching will continue for several more weeks. In his…
West Virginia MetroNews - Following on the heels of a big personal income tax cut, Gov. Jim Justice has proposed three more tax breaks. Read the full article. West Virginia lawmakers will now need to make a calculation about whether the state can afford to embrace the proposals. The state’s 21.25 personal property tax cut…
On January 17, 2024, senior policy analyst Sean O'Leary presented his short analysis of Governor Jim Justice's proposed FY 2025 budget. You can view the slides from his presentation here.
West Virginia Watch, Beckley Register-Herald - Gov. Jim Justice gave his eighth and final State of the State address last week, and although there were no dog butts or loads of bullcrap, there was lots to dissect. Let’s take a look at what he said. Read the full article. “Do you realize that if we left here, right this minute,…