The Rules Committee moved SB 239 and SB 412 to the House Calendar from the Special Calendar.
SB 4 would allow certain licensed professionals to donate their time to the care of the indigent and the needy and to allow them to gain credit for their time against continuing education requirements needed to maintain their license. The bill passed the House 100-0
SB 300, SB 301, and SB 305 are supplemental appropriation.
SB 337 would allow the Division of Corrections to hire a person as a Correctional Officer no matter their placement on the correctional officer register. The bill passed the House 100-0
SB 484 would eliminate the exemption from sales tax for certain sales of materials acquired for use in state highway projects.
Delegate Eric Householder (R-Berkeley) said we’ve been studying this for a couple years not. He said it would tax cell phones, just like 42 other states. He said this bill is broadening the sales tax base and lower the rates. He said this is a plan to save our taxpayers. He said the bill is a well laid out and deliberate means. He believes it will put us back to the path of prosperity.
Delegate Isaac Sponaugle (D-Pendleton) said “This is a tax bill and going to raise $140 million. I guarantee if you do this and go home, you’re going to lose all creditability.”
Delegate Tony Lewis (R-Preston) said, “When I ran I told people, we might have to raise some taxes and do somethings to get out of this hole.” He said this a fair deal.
Majority Leader Daryl Cowles (R-Morgan) said, “It’s tax relief for the people.”
Delegate Larry Rowe (D-Kanawha) said he doesn’t understand why we are just taxing the people, not the businesses. He said, you can call it a tax rate decrease but not a tax break.
Minority Leader Tim Miley (D-Harrison) said he thinks why his side of the isle is confused is because the majority get elected running on not wanting to raise taxes and wanting to live within the state’s means. He said he believes in choice taxes on things that could harm West Virginia, such as cigarette taxes, alcohol tax, and the soda tax. He said these are taxes to help reduce the healthcare cost in the future. He said he doesn’t see anything in the bill that helps the State.
The bill passed the House 72-48.
SB 493 would increase the pay for conservation officers.
The House is in recess until 3:30 p.m.
Update:
The House reconvened at 4:30 p.m. to discuss HB 2018 (the Budget Bill) and finish the agenda.
HB 2018 was amended by Speaker Tim Armstead (R-Kanawha) and Finance Chairman Eric Nelson (R-Kanawha). The amendment took $1 million from the House funds and $1 million from the Senate funds to give to the volunteer fire department funds. The amendment was adopted.
Nelson explained the bill. He said it’s a budget of $4.24 billion general revenue to spend; $105 million less than the Governor’s plan. It continues with the two percent mid-year cuts Toblin had offered in the previous budget. He said our state is lacking economic diversity. He said the largest source of revenue is personal income tax and the second largest source is sales tax. He said it’s a balanced budget and reduces spending from last year by $60 million. He said there’s a little hurt for everyone. There were difficult decisions that had to be made, he said.
Many delegates opposed the budget bill due to higher education cuts and other issues. Delegate Andrew Byrd (D-Kanawha) wanted to send the bill back to finance committee to address the constitutionality of the bill. The motion failed 36-63.
Delegate Rodney Miller (D-Boone) said he feels the bill hits different parts of the state disproportionately. He said, “We can’t cut our way out of this. We can’t tax our way out of this.” He said we’ve got to meet somewhere in the middle.
The bill passed the House 58-42 and now will go to the Senate for more consideration.
The House is in recess for 15 minutes.
Update:
The House reconvened to amend bills on second reading and hear first reading.
SB 76, SB 288, SB 220, and SB 694 were read a first time.
Committee Meetings Tomorrow
Rules: 8:45 a.m. behind the Chamber
The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. tomorrow.
