By Dave Beard, The Dominion Post
CHARLESTON, W.VA. — West Virginia’s top two legislative leaders have their eyes on an array of bills for improving the state during the 2020 session, which begins Wednesday.
Among them, ending the tax on business equipment, inventory and machinery; creating a state-backed investment fund to draw outside dollars; and getting people back to work .
Senate President Mitch Carmichael and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw shared their priorities with media representatives Friday during the West Virginia Press Association Legislative Lookahead at the Capitol campus.
Reflecting on the inventory tax, Carmichael said, “This is the number one job-killing tax in the state.”
It’s been talked about for more than three decades, and highlighted as an obstacle in three governors’ reports.
“We want to be the legislature that gets rid of it.”
The problem is, the tax funds schools and counties. Figuring out how to replace it has been a sticking point. Carmichael said he sees making it up through natural economic growth. He spelled that out more during an interview after the session. …
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