House Passes Tax Reduction Bill

The House convened this morning passing several bills and completing legislative action on three.

The Rules Committee met before the floor session today moving House Bill 4264 and House Bill 4483 to the House Calendar. The committee also advanced HCRs 15, 58, 59, and 60.

The House adopted House Concurrent Resolution 23, which requests the Division of Highways to place at least 10 additional signs along highways entering WV honoring fallen veterans and Gold Star Families. Gold Star families are families who have family members who died or were killed serving in the armed forces.

Three bills completed legislative action.

House Bill 4074, Meghan’s Law, requires boards of education to train all public-school employees and volunteers on students’ self-harm behaviors and eating disorders. The bill requires middle and high school students to receive yearly education regarding self-harm behavior and eating disorder signs, preventions, and treatment.

Senate Bill 279 authorizes the DEP to make rules relating to air quality standards, new stationary sources, air pollution from combustion of solid waste, emission standards, coal combustion residual management, water quality standers, and underground injection control.  

Senate Bill 451 updates the definition of federal taxable income in the West Virginia Corporation Net Income Act.

Eight other bills advanced from the House to the Senate today. The two receiving the most discussion were House Bill 4007 and House Bill 4535.

House Bill 4007 reduces personal income tax rates and creates a fund into which one half of each fiscal year’s general revenue surplus will be deposited to offset any loss of revenues determined by the Legislature to have resulted from this and any future reductions of those rates instead of using that portion of the surplus to fund the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

Opponents of this bill stressed that this reduction helps the higher income brackets more than the lower income brackets. They also stated that just because the state has a surplus now, doesn’t mean the state will have one in the next couple of years. Proponents stated that with a surplus, the state should be returning funds to the citizens. They feel this will help their constituents, who are struggling during the pandemic.

The bill advances to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 4535 removes the requirement of school attendance and satisfactory academic progress as conditions of receiving a driver’s license.

Opponents of this bill stated that this requirement may be the only reason students are staying in school. Proponents state that the removal of this requirement will help students who are struggling to make it to work and school to help provide for their families.

The bill advanced to the Senate with a vote of 68-25.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. on Monday, February 14, 2022.

Committees – Monday, February 14, 2022

The Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.

The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m.

The Committee on Technology and Infrastructure will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.

The Committee on Veterans and Homeland Security will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 410.

The Committee on Pensions and Retirement will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 460.

The Education Committee will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 434.

The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 3 p.m. in 215E.

The Select Committee on Tourism and Economic Diversification will meet at 5 p.m. in Room 460.