By Charles Young, WV News
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey wants an explanation from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Morrisey and 20 other Republican state attorneys have signed a letter requesting clarification from Yellen on a component of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package signed into law last week. The letter asks Yellen to clarify an element of the legislation that appears to restrict states from using COVID-19 relief funds to finance local tax cuts.
Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, which featured GOP lawmakers from the West Virginia Legislature, Morrisey said the group behind the letter views this component of the legislation as an infringement of the authority of states to make their own tax policies.
“There are huge legal and constitutional problems with this provision,” he said. “In fact, as we talk among our colleagues, none of us have seen anything like this over the last few decades. As our letter points out, this may be one of the greatest attempted invasions of state sovereignty by Congress in the history of our republic.” …
