By Steven Allen Adams, Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice might not get all the items on his budget wish list under a version of the budget bill moved by the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday night after both the state Senate and House of Delegates wrapped up Crossover Day.
Now with 10 days left in the 60-day legislative session, attention turned to getting the budget for fiscal year 2021 finished by midnight on Saturday, March 7. The Senate Finance Committee recommended Wednesday afternoon Senate Bill 150, the Budget Bill introduced on behalf of Gov. Justice, to the full Senate.
During his State of the State address Jan. 8, Justice presented the Legislature with a general revenue budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 (starting July 1) of $4.585 billion, a 2.31 percent decrease from the fiscal year 2020 budget that went into effect in July. The Senate Finance Committee’s budget proposal would decrease the Governor’s budget proposal to $4.558 billion — a $27 million decrease from Justice’s proposal.
The Senate Finance budget includes $49 million in cuts. Some of the cuts include: $10.5 million in cuts to the Jobs and Hope substance abuse treatment and job training program; $3 million in cuts to the WV Invests Grant Program, a program created by Senate Bill 1 last year to provide last-dollar-in grants to West Virginians wanting to attend community and technical colleges; a $4 million decrease in tourism funding, and $10 million from the intellectual and development disability waiver program. …
