Gov. Justice amends special session call

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Monday is day three of a special session at the West Virginia State Capitol.

It involves the top item — a tax cut for your family.

House and Senate Finance leaders tell WSAZ that Governor Jim Justice is prepared to send a revised tax cut proposal to lawmakers.

Delegates are scheduled to receive the new proposal during its midday floor session.

Senate finance chairman Eric Tarr tells WSAZ the new proposal will be less than the five percent the governor originally proposed.

Tarr could not disclose specifics, but says he believes it is a proposal that lawmakers can agree upon.

If approved, it would be on top of a four percent cut already slated to hit your paycheck in January 2025 and a 21.25 percent cut received in 2023.

Those cuts were passed as part of a package that reduces the state’s income tax at the speed of economic growth.

Tarr had been among lawmakers concerned the state could not pay for the original five percent proposal.

He had worried about the cost noting other tax cuts and new spending that would soon hit the state’s budget.

Gov. Jim Justice issued a proclamation on Monday amending his original call for the West Virginia Legislature to convene in Special Session, adding several new items for consideration.

Some of the additional items include:

• A two percent reduction in the personal income tax.
• A resolution to honor Hershel “Woody” Williams with a statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection.
• Funding for certain federally-funded broadband expansion programs to come from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority.
• Supplemental funding for West Virginia University, Marshall University, Concord University, Shepherd University, and New River Community and Technical College.
• The allocation of $5 million for statewide EMS program support.

This is a developing story.

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