CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With a late-session maneuver to close major West Virginia budget deficits by eliminating a number of longstanding sales tax exemptions drawing fire from business interests, the House Finance chairman said Monday he doubts the bill will pass this session.
“I’m not real confident this moves forward,” House Finance Chairman Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, said of the bill (HB 2704), which would eliminate a variety of sales tax exemptions to help close a $450 million-plus shortfall in the 2016-17 state budget.
Indeed, Monday evening, the House voted 92-2 to table the bill, placing the bill on inactive status — with “crossover day,” the last day the House can pass House bills this session, looming on Wednesday.
The proposal had quickly drawn criticism from business groups, including the National Federation of Independent Business, which said it would increase costs for business and would result in higher consumer prices…