No movement yet on 5% personal income tax cut
By Steven Allen Adams, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After a six-day break to allow behind-the-scenes negotiations towards Gov. Jim Justice’s 5% personal income tax proposal to continue, the second special session of the West Virginia Legislature continued Sunday with new bills and a look at Justice’s child care tax credit.
Lawmakers gaveled in Sunday night after Justice called the Legislature into special session last Monday to continue work on the remaining 22 bills that were placed on the special session call last week by the governor.
Justice further amended the special session call Saturday afternoon, adding three new supplemental appropriations for lawmakers to consider, including $10 million for the state Department of Agriculture for drought relief, $1 million for the Department of Education for school safety initiatives and $5 million for a child care expansion pilot program through the Department of Economic Development.
The Senate version of the child care expansion bill, Senate Bill 2029, passed the Senate 27-2 Sunday night. The School Building Authority bill, Senate Bill 2031, passed 28-1. The drought funding bill, Senate Bill 2032, passed 29-0. The three Senate bills were sent to the House for consideration.
Justice also added a bill creating an appropriation line item for the SBA for the $5 million already appropriated for the SBA for public charter school building construction projects.
