Charleston Gazette-Mail
Not too long ago, then-Gov. Jim Justice, now a U.S. senator, was touting a $1.3 billion surplus in state revenue. Such a windfall, Justice said, must be used to cut the state’s income tax, if not repeal it entirely.
So, Justice and the West Virginia Legislature, controlled by a Republican supermajority, did just that. By the time Justice left office earlier this month, the income tax — the largest source of revenue for state government — had been cut by more than 27%.
Now, the new governor, Patrick Morrisey, says West Virginia is in financial crisis, facing a budget shortfall of about $400 million, which is only projected to get worse.
So, what happened?