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Justice, West Virginia Lawmakers Reach Deal on 2% Income Tax Cut Proposal

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Justice, West Virginia Lawmakers Reach Deal on 2% Income Tax Cut Proposal


photo by: W.Va. Legislative Photography

State Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, asks questions Monday about a compromise between Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Jim Justice for a personal income tax cut.

CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice and the West Virginia Legislature appear to be moving toward a reduced version of the governor’s proposed personal income tax cut.

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The House Finance Committee recommended House Bill 237, relating to the personal income tax, for passage to the full House Monday afternoon. The state Senate passed its version, Senate Bill 2033, in a 31-0 vote Monday afternoon, setting up a possible final vote today.

“Regardless of what the percentage is, we recognize that we have got funds available to give back to the citizens of West Virginia,” said House Finance Committee Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, following Monday’s House floor session.

“I thank the governor’s staff for working with us to make sure we had room in future budgets to be able to offset where these tax cuts come from in a responsible manner,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam.

Justice issued an amended proclamation earlier Monday with eight new bills, a concurrent resolution, and a change his proposal for a 5% personal income tax cut to a 2% cut.

Justice first called for a 5% personal income tax cut in July following the end of fiscal year 2024.However, some lawmakers expressed concerns over the last several weeks about the state general revenue budget being able to afford the loss of tax revenue beginning in fiscal year 2026 next July 2025.

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During his weekly administration briefing last week, Justice signaled that he would be willing to accept less than the 5% personal income tax cut he proposed.

A 2% cut in personal income tax rates would return approximately $46 million to taxpayers when fully implemented. The tax cut would go into effect in January at the start of the 2025 tax year along with a 4% personal income tax cut due to the state meeting the requirements of a trigger mechanism and formula allowing for personal income tax cuts up to 10% every year. The 4% personal income tax will return approximately $92 million to taxpayers when fully implemented.

“I think our taxpayers are hurting,” said Department of Revenue Secretary Larry Pack to the House Finance Committee during testimony when asked why the tax cut is needed now. “Inflation has been absolutely crushing people, so we’re doing everything we can to help people and our taxpayers as quick as we can as long as we can do it in a prudent fashion.”

With the passage of House Bill 225, that will take the total percentage of personal income tax cuts since 2023 during Justice’s administration to 27.25% and return more than $626 million to taxpayers by fiscal year 2026. Personal income tax collections of more than $2.2 billion made up nearly 40% of the state’s $5.7 billion in general revenue collections in fiscal year 2024.

HB 237 would also delay the effective date of the next personal income tax trigger put in place by the 2023 tax reform package. When the Department of Revenue determines the next personal income tax cut in August based on the trigger and formula, instead of that tax cut going into effect in tax year 2026, it would go into effect in tax year 2027.

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In order to pay for the $46 million loss in personal income tax revenue from the 2% cut, $19 million will come when a revenue bond is paid off soon. The remaining $27 million will come from cost savings ongoing from the reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Resources into the departments of Health, Human Services, and Health Facilities.

While the three-member Senate Democratic caucus voted for the bill, Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, raised concerns about passing a tax cut in an election year when a new governor and new legislature will take their seats next year. Justice is the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, facing Democratic former Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott.

“At the 11th hour, we’re going to find this money, we’re going to cut a tax, and we’re going to hamstring, it seems to me, the new governor…(Justice) won’t even be here,” Woelfel said. “There are a fair number of people in this room who are not going to be here in January…Why are we making the decision in October when we will reconvene in January?”

Other items on Justice’s second amended special session proclamation included: allowing funding for certain federally funded broadband expansion programs to come from the state Economic Development Authority; providing supplemental appropriations for West Virginia University, Marshall University, Concord University, Shepherd University, and New River Community and Technical College; providing $5 million for the Department of Health for statewide EMS program support; and providing $175,000 for the West Virginia State Police for repairs and refurbishment of helicopters.

Other added bills included: legislation transferring the powers and duties of the state Municipal Bond Commission to the State Treasurer’s Office; rules dealing with the issuing of refunding bonds and general obligation bonds; relating to fees and charges for municipality provided fire services; and a bill transferring funds from the State Treasurer’s Office to the Governor’s Civil Contingency Fund for additional funding for deferred maintenance at state colleges and universities.

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One concurrent resolution added to the amended special session calls for honoring the late U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Gold Star Family advocate Hershel “Woody” Williams as one of two West Virginia statues in the National Statuary Hall collection at the U.S. Capitol Building.

Three bills completed legislative action Monday: appropriating $15.7 million to the Adjutant General’s office of the West Virginia National Guard for capital outlay, repairs, and equipment, the state Military Authority, and the Recruit WV employment program; appropriating $87 million to the Public Employees insurance Agency for its reserve fund to abide by State Code that requires PEIA to maintain a reserve of 10% of the projected plan expenses; and appropriating $13.7 million to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine for building renovations.



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Logan, Catholic, Huntington and GW win team titles at State Tennis

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Logan, Catholic, Huntington and GW win team titles at State Tennis


-We are the champions.

Laying claim to titles at the annual West Virginia High School Tennis State Tournament on Friday were Charleston Catholic’s boys and Logan’s girls in Division II while GW’s boys and Huntington’s girls finished at the top in Division II.

For the Catholic boys, who defeated Williamstown, it was the 14th under the guidance of David Sadd.

Logan’s girls made history with their first-ever state team championship in tennis.

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-Meanwhile, the Marshall women’s softball team fell to Arizona, 7-5, in its opening round game of the NCAA Tournament. Morgan Zerkle’s Herd hit four home runs in the game.

-The University of Charleston women’s softball team was within a win of claiming the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional I Tournament in Shippensburg.

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-In college baseball, both WVU and Marshall lost the second game of their three-game series with TCU and Texas State, respectively.

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WVWC hosts 50th West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day

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WVWC hosts 50th West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day


BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — The 50th Annual West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day was held on April 17-18, 2026, hosted by West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Operated and organized by the West Virginia State Math Field Day Organization (WVSMFDO), the event was sponsored in part by the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and Hope Gas Community Grant.

West Virginia Wesleyan College mathematics faculty prepared all Grades 10-12 activities and scored two events. They also hosted an optional Friday evening activity for participants and families.

The event was for West Virginia students in 4th through 12th grades. Each of eight regions may send three students to represent their region in 4th through 9th grade levels and ten students to represent their region in the 10th through 12th grade competition. One hundred forty-two students from grades 4-9 and 79 students from grades 10-12 participated in the event.

The annual awards ceremony took place April 18 in the Wesley Chapel with more than 500 in attendance, including students, family members, West Virginia math teachers and Wesleyan math faculty and students.

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From its origin in Braxton County in 1972, this West Virginia home-grown, all-volunteer competition has evolved and strives to afford students from public, private, parochial and charter schools in West Virginia an opportunity to participate in some manner. If counties choose to participate, their students engage at the school, county and regional levels, prior to the state level. Winners at each level progress to the next higher level. Winners at each level are chosen using activities which best serve that county or regional level of competition. A guidebook is provided for activities which are used at the state level.

West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day was established to promote increased student participation in classroom and extracurricular mathematics. These events stimulate greater interest for mathematics, recognize students who excel in mathematics and provide the opportunity for interaction between peers with common interests and abilities.

The inspiration for the development of the West Virginia State Mathematics Field Day is credited to a presentation, “The Laboratory Approach to Mathematics,” given by Dr. Kenneth P. Kidd from the University of Florida at the 1971 Annual Meeting of the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Jerry L. Jackson, Mathematics Director for Braxton County Schools, acting on Kidd’s comments that mathematics is truly an exciting and fun subject to study, organized a mathematics field day for the students of Braxton County in the spring of 1972.

After many visits with superintendents and other curriculum representatives in several central West Virginia counties, the first regional mathematics field day was held on May 25, 1973, in a National Guard armory. Students from Braxton County, Gilmer County, Harrison County Catholic Schools, Mineral County, Nicholas County, Raleigh County, Tucker County and Webster County participated.

The first West Virginia State Math Field Day for grades 4-9 was held on May 16, 1975, in conjunction with the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting at Potomac State College. Events have been held each year since 1975 with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.

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The past competitions rotated between various West Virginia Institutions of Higher Education. On the 50th anniversary, these institutions are to be recognized for their support, use of facilities, hospitality and donation of time spent creating tests for the Grade 10-12 competition. They are listed in order from highest frequency, as follows: West Virginia University, Concord University, West Virginia State University, Marshall University, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Shepherd University, Fairmont State University, West Liberty University, Bethany College, Davis & Elkins College, Glenville State University and Potomac State College.

Several of the current WVSMFDO members/organizers were participants in Math Field Day events at either the school, county, regional or state levels when they were in grades 4-12.

Counties are organized into regions for the competition as shown below.

  • Region 1: Raleigh, Summers, Monroe, Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming.
  • Region 2: Mason, Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo.
  • Region 3: Putnam, Kanawha, Clay, Boone.
  • Region 4: Braxton, Webster, Pocahontas, Nicholas, Fayette, Greenbrier.
  • Region 5: Tyler, Pleasants, Wood, Ritchie, Wirt, Calhoun, Jackson, Roane.
  • Region 6: Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel.
  • Region 7: Monongalia, Marion, Preston, Harrison, Taylor, Tucker, Barbour, Doddridge, Lewis, Gilmer, Upshur, Randolph.
  • Region 8: Pendleton, Grant, Hardy, Mineral, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson.

“All the activities have been selected according to the basic philosophy that mathematics is truly an exciting and challenging field of study,” according to Rowanne Shockey, WVSMFDO president. The State Mathematics Field Day event includes activities and games for grades 4-9 which are challenging and fun. The events in grades 4-9 include a written test, mental math activities, relays and estimation activities, which are both computational and physical in nature.

The activities for the students in grades 10-12 are patterned after those used in The American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) which is a follow-up competition for grades 10-12. The individual events are an exam and short answer questions. In addition, each regional team competes in relays, a team power question and team questions to choose an overall region winner.

The West Virginia State Math Field Day competition is the official method to select the WV team competing in ARML. The WV team will attend ARML at Penn State University in May. The WV team will be comprised of the top 18 Grades 10-12 winners and the top two Grade 9 winners.

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West Virginia University professors and ARML Coach Doug Squire meet with the WV team prior to ARML for a two-day tutoring/strategy session. Clark Metz and Cody Hood are assistant ARML Coaches. Other WVU Faculty who will be donating their time to work with the West Virginia team are as follows: Krista Bresock, Ryan Hansen, Gabe Tapia, Charis Tsikkou and student Presley Lucas.

The 2026 Grades 4-9 first through fifth place winners and Gamemaster winners were as follows:

Grade 4: 1) Blake Fuller — 8, 2) Toby Nguyen — 7, 3) Xinhe Xu — 7, 4) Nolan Shanholtzer — 2, 5) Elijah McClain — 1,

Gamemaster — Nolan Shanholtzer — 2

Grade 5: 1) Emma Lu — 7, 2) Xin Zhao — 6, 3) Rodger Lin — 3, 4) Eric Dai — 7, 5) Anir Nafai — 8, Gamemaster — Parker Allan Stone — 2

Grade 6: 1) Dan Nguyen — 7, 2) Xuanchen Ren — 1, 3) Pierino Silveri — 7, 4) Vedhik Venkatesh — 7, 5) Maddox Yohler — 8, Gamemaster — Xuanchen Ren — 1

Grade 7: 1) Luke Wan — 7, 2) Oscar Tortorelli — 2, 3) Xinxi Xu — 7, 4) Leon Vorst — 7, Gamemaster — Tobin McGuire — 6

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Grade 8: 1) Nirav Nimbarte — 7, 2) Anna Song — 7, 3) Ethan Kim — 1, 4) Will Fullen — 7, 5) Coltyn Cantrell — 2, Gamemaster — Riya Sharma — 2

Grade 9: 1) Hope Wu — 3, 2) Goria Hu — 7, 3) Vibhuman Haricharan — 3, 4) Leo Grammer — 7, 5) Isabell Kim Tabone — 7, Gamemaster — Connor Stump — 1

Grades 4-9 Estimation Winner — Nolan Shanholtzer Grade 4 — Region 2

Team Winner Grades 4-9 — Region 7 Team members were Grade 4: Toby Nguyen, Teodor Prisneac, Xinhe Xu; Grade 5: Eric Dai, Emma Lu, Grady Thomas Walsh; Grade 6: Dan Nguyen, Pierino Silveri, Vedhik Venkatesh; Grade 7: Leon Vorst, Luke Wan, Xinxi Xu; Grade 8: Will Fullen, Nirav Nimbarte, Anna Song; Grade 9: Leo Grammer, Gloria Hu, Isabell Kim Tabone.

The first-place individual winner in Grades 10-12 was Leroy Song from Region 7. The first-place winner is awarded the Carl Cummings Memorial Trophy. It is a perpetual trophy and will be displayed at Leroy’s school for one year.

The Most Beneficial Team Member in Grades 10-12 was Wade Garber from Region 4. Wade was honored based upon a score calculated through a mathematical formula which incorporates regional placement, individual scores and team scores from both the regional and state level competitions.

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In Grades 10-12, the top 30 winners in Grades 10-12 were recognized. Names and region numbers follow. 1) Leroy Song — 7, 2) Alexei Zhao — 6, 3) Caden Yao — 7, 4) Sanketh Guppi — 7, 5) Wade Garber — 4, 6) Ian Boord — 7, 7) Luke Hill — 3, 8) Jaxon Milam — 6, 9) Noah Ramey — 2, 10) Patrick Bragg — 5, 11) Sean Viteri — 8, 12) Wyatt Jordan — 2, 13) Mark Wang — 7, 14) Isaac Lanigan — 6, 15) Jaxson Davis — 3, 16) Zimeng Ren — 1, 17) Wade Lane — 7, 18) Kevin Dong — 7, 19) William J. Northey — 7, 20) Cadmon Kesecker — 8, 21) Conner Ray — 6, 22) Andrew Viteri — 8, 23) Thomas Farrell — 2, 24) Bradyn Woodard — 5, 25) Patrick Robinson — 1, 26) Isaiah Vellaithambi — 3, 27) Connor Westfall — 3, 28) Sophie Cunningham — 6, 29) Blake Jones — 5, 30) Bhavya Patel — 4

Team Winner Grades 10-12 — Region 7 Team members were Ian Boord, Kevin Dong, Sanketh Guppi, Wade Lane, Nathaniel Linger, William J. Northey, Leroy Song, Mark Wang, Angela Yao and Caden Yao.

West Virginia Wesleyan College Math Faculty site coordinator was Pam Wovchko. West Virginia Wesleyan Math Faculty who wrote and graded tests were John Epler, Jesse Oldroyd, Pam Wovchko. The West Virginia Wesleyan Math Field Day Planning Committee was John Epler, Jesse Oldroyd, Ed Wovchko, Pam Wovchko. Additional West Virginia Wesleyan faculty members who assisted were Kelsey Aldrich and Don Tobin.

West Virginia Wesleyan students assisting were Marimo Akita, Sydnee Clark, Kenzie Clutter, Arianna Crowley, Keirston Daley, Mostafa Darwish, Addie Davis, Dane Heath, Macy Helmick, Taylor Hess, Kiylei Holloway, Ignatius Jewell, Sante Klosterman, Mackenzie McNeil, Jannah Miller, Nasif Mohammed, Kiran Nandigama, Lanna Nguyen, Jose III Olaco, McKenzie Reynolds, Autumn Russell, Omar Sadek, Lis Shala, Katelyn Shaw, Chris Schimmel, Sophie Shoemaker, Madison Stokes, Sneha Sundaraneedi, Kaylie Toler, Alyson Vandall and Makenzie Williams.



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Teamsters say no talks scheduled with The Beverage Market – WV MetroNews

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Teamsters say no talks scheduled with The Beverage Market – WV MetroNews


CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Drivers who deliver Coors, Miller, and Modello beer to stores and bars across 30 West Virginia counties remain on the picket line in a labor dispute with distributor The Beverage Market.

Members of Teamsters Local 175 went on strike this week only days after rejecting the latest contract offer from the company.

“We’ve reached out to to try and get dates to resume negotiations multiple times, but the company has not responded and continues to refuse to provide dates to sit down again,” said Teamsters Local 175 Secretary/Treasurer Luke Farley.

Members are bothered by many of the concessions they say the company has demanded in their contract talks. There would be steep increases in the cost of health insurance, and steep reductions in retirement contributions and benefits. However, Farley said it doesn’t end there.

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“Those are two very big ones, but they’re not the only ones. They want certain categories of employees to actually go back in pay in addition to what they’d have to pay in increased costs for health insurance. It’s also on working conditions and things these employees have fought for 20 years or more to put in the contract and the company wants to do away with all of them,” he explained.

MetroNews reached out to officials with The Beverage Market and were provided the following statement:

“We value our employees and respect their right to organize and engage in collective bargaining. While we are disappointed that an agreement has not yet been reached, we remain committed to negotiating in good faith and finding a fair resolution that supports both our workforce and the long-term growth of our company.

During negotiations, the Teamsters Local 175 union has demanded the company to present a “last and best” offer. Because we believe there is still an opportunity to work together toward a mutually beneficial agreement, we have chosen not to take that step and instead remain committed to continued dialogue.

Our focus remains on continuing operations and serving our customers across West Virginia while working toward a resolution that is fair, responsible, and sustainable. We recognize the challenges this situation presents for everyone involved and are committed to moving forward thoughtfully and collaboratively. We remain hopeful that, through continued good-faith efforts on all sides, a positive path forward will be achieved.”

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“They put out news clippings that they are committed to negotiating, but they only seem to tell the press that and not the union,” Farley said.

The workers are picketing outside the company’s operations in Sissonville and also handed out informational materials at the annual Foam at the Dome event in Charleston.



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