CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The letter was signed Thursday that will reduce the state’s personal income tax by another 4% on Jan. 1, 2025.
The letter, signed by state Auditor J.B. McCuskey and state Revenue Secretary Larry Pack, acknowledges the trigger mechanization for the tax cut was met.
Larry Pack
Legislation approved by state lawmakers in 2023 establishes a process by which the personal income tax can be reduced annually if certain marks are met.
The trigger measures general revenue collections in a fiscal year minus severance collections compared to 2019 as a base year, adjusted for inflation. If collections are ahead of the base year, that would activate the trigger. That’s what happened in the most recently completed fiscal year. The cuts, according to the trigger, can go no lower than 10%.
Advertisement
State lawmakers passed and Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill last year to reduce the tax by 21%. Pack said Thursday the additional 4% will begin coming off next year.
“It’s effective Jan. 1, 2025. We just made it official. We’re very thankful for the governor’s leadership and legislature to allow us to continue to cut the tax burden of West Virginians,” Pack said during an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Pack said the the new cut will be about a $100 million savings for taxpayers, Pack said.
“That’s on top of the over $800 million tax cut the governor pushed forward and the legislature passed last year,” Pack said.
MORE see letter here
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Justice has said on more than one occasion that he plans to ask lawmakers to cut the personal income tax by another 5% during a special session either later this month or in September.
“We’ve done the right thing growing this economy; we’ve done the right thing keeping this budget flat. Why in the world would we now do the wrong thing? For people who want to sit on the sidelines and do nothing, then at the end of the day we will get exactly, ultimately, in the end — mark it down because I’m not going to be here very much longer — in all honesty we will get exactly what we deserve,” Justice said in early July.
But there doesn’t appear to be any widespread agreement on Justice’s proposal. He said as recent as this week that his office continues to talk with lawmakers.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, has been one of the critics.
Gov. Jim Justice
“Either you’re going to have to go in and reduce spending that is so bloody that you can afford that — bloody by, I mean, it is going to be politically challenging and it will be citizen uproar on some of those services because we’ve been catching infrastructure up, we’ve been getting sewer and water done, we’ve been getting roads done, we’ve been getting broadband down. You want to stop all that then go ahead and throw another $100 million in expenses there for perpetuity before we get the opportunity for revenue growth for the things we’ve done,” Tarr said last month on 580Live with Dave Allen.
Pack said what is known is the personal income tax is going down another 4% on Jan. 1.
Advertisement
“We’re able to let people to keep more of their money while at the same time we’ll able to run government efficiently,” Pack said.
The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3) welcome the Maryland Terrapins (10-5) to Kendrick Family Ballpark Tuesday afternoon the first encounter between the two programs since 2023 and the first meeting in Morgantown since 2018. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.
Advertisement
The Mountaineers captured their fourth consecutive series of the season after taking two of the three games from Columbia over the weekend. West Virginia sophomore Matt Ineich and senior Brodie Kresser both blasted grand slams during the series. Ineich lifted WVU in game two with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th in game two, and Kresser ignited a 16-1 rout, capping a six-run second inning in the series finale.
Advertisement
Gavin Kelly leads West Virginia at the plate with a .436 batting average with a Big 12 leading nine doubles. Ineich and senior Paul Schoenfeld has raked in a team-leading 16 RBI apiece, while senior Matthew Graveline has clubbed a team-high three home runs.
On the mound, West Virginia is expected to start sophomore David Hagen. The right-hander has made four appearances on the season, including one start. He last started in the home-opener against Ohio where he pitched two scoreless innings and recorded a strikeout to collect his first win of the season. He holds a 1.00 ERA with five strikeouts on the season.
After starting 3-4, Maryland is 7-1 in its last eight games. The Terrapins won two of three at UNC Wilmington in the season opening series, followed by a midweek win against Georgetown before getting swept at Louisiana. The Terps bounced back with a pair of midweek wins versus Delaware and swept a one-win Wagner team.
Junior Brayden Martin is batting a team-best .443 to go with four doubles and 12 RBI. Redshirt freshman Ryan Costello leads the Terps in home runs (9) and RBI (21) and is third in batting average at .328, while freshman Ty Kaunus has a team-high seven doubles and has .269 batting average.
Advertisement
Maryland is scheduled to start freshman Nic Morlang. The right-hander has four appearances on the season, including four starts. He allowed five earned runs in his appearances, coinciding with his two starts, in six innings of work. In his last two appearances in relief, He’s allowed one earned run on five hits.
Advertisement
West Virginia leads the all-time series 8-5, including a five-game winning streak over Maryland.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a series of parties in Morgantown over the weekend.
Morgantown police officers, West Virginia University Police and state police responded to reports of overcrowded parties, underage drinking, physical altercations and multiple injuries.
Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffie said several citations were issued for open containers and underage consumption.
Advertisement
Two large parties were dispersed and six arrests were made without incident.
None of the reported injuries are believed to be serious or life-threatening.
The Morgantown Fire Department assisted in the operations.
Hancock County, WV — A Weir High School senior has been recognized as the 2026 West Virginia Student Journalist of the Year.
Hailey Hans was selected for the statewide honor after building a journalism portfolio since her freshman year. She also serves as the staff manager of Weir Student Media, where she oversees articles and is in charge of deadlines.
“When I was a freshman I was placed in the journalism one class, and I actually tried to get pulled from the class. But, then after I sat in the class and I learned a little bit, that’s where my love grew and then from there I continued to take classes, I helped pass a law, and I got to these national conventions. Where it just lit a fire inside me,” Hans said.
Hans is planning to attend West Liberty University in the fall to study education with a minor in journalism, with the goal of becoming a journalism teacher. She will now submit her portfolio for the national-level contest.
