By WENDY HOLDREN The Register-Herald Gov. Jim Justice, seated at a desk with two empty plates — a “nothing burger” and a “mayonnaise sandwich” — representing the budget plans proposed by the West Virginia House and Senate, announced a one-day extension of the session. “Neither do anything for you,” Justice[Read More…]

By ANDREA LANNOM The Register-Herald CHARLESTON, W.Va.  — After a little more than an hour of debate with opponents expressing concerns over “draconian cuts” and proponents saying the state needs to live within its means, the West Virginia Senate passed a $4.1 billion budget in a 20-14 vote. The vote[Read More…]

By RUSTY MARKS The State Journal CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates passed a budget bill Wednesday, April 5 following more than three hours of sometimes heated debate. Delegate Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, chairman of the House Finance Committee, said the original general revenue budget proposed by[Read More…]

By DAVID BEARD The Dominion Post CHARLESTON, W.Va. — No matter which party is in charge, budget bills pass along party lines. So it was no surprise that the House budget bill, HB 2018, passed 58-42, with just a few Republicans crossing over. What was unusual was that almost all[Read More…]

By DAVID BEARD The Dominion Post CHARLESTON, W.Va.  — As senators debated their version of the state budget April 5, Sen. Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, made an observation about the nature of the debate. “This is political theater dealing with the budget.” The Senate budget bill, SB 199, passed, 20-14. As[Read More…]

By ANDREA LANNOM The Register-Herald CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Standing in front of the West Virginia Capitol, a grassroots advocacy group criticized budget proposals put forth by the House and Senate, saying cuts to programs could be devastating to the state’s future. Members of Protect West Virginia Wednesday discussed proposed cuts[Read More…]

By WENDY HOLDREN The Register-Herald The Mountain State didn’t wind up with its $500 million budget deficit overnight. Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, said the state’s budget crisis arose from two central reasons: tax cuts and a severe decline in the coal industry. “We’re facing[Read More…]

By RYAN QUINN Charleston Gazette-Mail CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The chairman of the West Virginia Senate Education Committee abruptly pulled Gov. Jim Justice’s wide-ranging K-12 education bill from his committee’s meeting agenda on Wednesday and said the bill is “dead.” But after the action and comments by Chairman Kenny Mann, R-Monroe,[Read More…]

By JOSELYN KING The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register WHEELING, W.Va. — A bill that would eliminate West Virginia’s eight regional education service agencies was pulled off the agenda during a Senate Education Committee meeting Wednesday, leaving in doubt its viability in the closing days of the Legislature’s regular 2017 session.[Read More…]