The State Journal - With the Mountain State constantly being ranked last, it might feel like a far stretch to say West Virginia might be doing tax structure the right way. ReadBut according to a new study, West Virginia is ranked 21 among the best business tax climates in the country. In the latest from the…
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Each year the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy releases our annual State of Working West Virginia report, which examines the Mountain State’s economy through the lens of its workers—the people who power our state and economy. While each year’s report has a slightly different focus, one consistent theme is the need to ask this simple question:…
Early voting is underway in West Virginia, and if passed, Amendment 2 could undermine funding and services that voters have already chosen to prioritize via the passage of excess levies and bonds in their communities. If the tax exemptions in Amendment 2 are enacted, local governments statewide could see an estimated $205 million in revenue from excess…
Come work with us! We’re hiring two full-time, paid summer fellows. The WVCBP seeks a Criminal Legal Policy Fellow to research and write about best practices for improving the criminal system, with a focus on the areas of excessive sentences and reducing the harms caused by jails and prisons. The WVCBP also seeks an Economic…
The State Journal published a piece by former WV Delegate Pat McGeehan where he says that the only way to create jobs in the Mountain State is "f Government Gets out of the Way." He lists the usual conservative/libertarian ideas of less regulation, protect private property, abolish the income tax, and decentralize government. As my…
We at the WVCBP are closely monitoring the evolving federal budget process and its potential impact on critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP. House leadership recently delayed key committee markups on the budget package, including in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. These markups are now expected next week, the week of May 12. That…
This week, the House of Delegates will consider a bill (HB 2704) that will extend the state's sales and use tax to more services in conjunction with lowering the sales tax rate. HB 2704 would remove several services currently exempted in West Virginia's sales tax, including services provided by lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers, investment counselors,…
Contact: Anne Singer, 202-299-1066, ext. 27 or Ted Boettner, 304-720-8682, tboettner@wvpolicy.org Read report New 50-State Study Provides Detailed Profiles and Comparisons of Tax Systems and Distribution Like most state tax systems, West Virginia takes a larger share from middle- and low-income families than from wealthy families, according to the fourth edition of "Who Pays? A…
Michigan has become the 24th state to pass "right-to-work" legislation. Essentially that means collective bargaining agreements cannot require nonunion employees to pay union dues. However, nonunion employees may still often benefit from wage agreements, a grievance process, and other benefits negotiated by the union. West Virginia does not have a "right-to-work" law, but some think…
After hearing from the coal industry about their desire for cut in the severance tax, SB 705 was quickly introduced and sped through the Senate Finance Committee on Monday, and is already on 2nd reading in the Senate today. In its current form, the bill cuts the severance tax on coal from 5% to 4%…