Looking Back At 2024 Legislative Sessions

Among many other issues, the 2024 legislative sessions – both regular and special – saw tax cuts made, book bans argued over, school discipline debated and moonshine distilling allowed at home. 

A special legislative session called last fall saw then-Gov. Jim Justice get a 2% state income tax cut pushed across the finish line. It means a decrease in state revenue of about $46 million. 

That goes along with a 4% personal income tax that went into effect in January 2025 because the state hit an economic trigger.

Single West Virginia tax filers who made over $50,000 per year, and joint filers who made over $100,000 per year used to have to pay taxes on social security income. In 2024, the legislature passed, and the governor signed, House Bill 4880, a bill that will eliminate the social security tax for all earners.

A contentious proposal regarding schools, libraries and obscene material sparked a legislative culture war battle in 2024. The fight was over removing public and school libraries and museum exemptions to West Virginia’s law against displaying or disseminating obscene material to minors. One side said the bill would better protect students and teachers. The other side said working standards were already in place, calling the measure a book ban and censorship bill. The bill died in a Senate committee.

In 2024, the legislature heard alarming testimony from West Virginia preschool through sixth grade teachers. Speaking in several legislative interim committees, educators statewide told chilling stories of  physical dangers from violent grade school student classroom behavior. 

Those teachers implored legislators to address the desperate need for heightened school discipline measures. Two issues heavily debated in 2024 – to address grade school discipline and a teacher bill of rights – both died before the final gavel. 

A Constitutional amendment regarding euthanasia and a bill aimed at curbing youth vaping were among pieces of legislation completing their journeys on the last day of the 2024 legislative session

Voters passed House Joint Resolution 28 in November. The amendment says, “No person, physician, or health care provider in the State of West Virginia shall participate in the practice of medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing of a person.” It allows for administering medicine to alleviate pain and discomfort for a dying patient, and allows withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.

The vaping bill (House Bill 5394) added electronic smoking devices to the list of tobacco products prohibited to sell to anyone under age 21. The list now includes e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes, vape pens and e-hookahs, and accessories such as filters, rolling papers, blunt or hemp wraps and pipes.

The legislature passed (House Bill 5294) that liberalizes how West Virginia breweries, distilleries and farm wineries sell and give away samples, on and off site. The measure makes this growing industry more competitive with neighboring states.

After some either intoxicating or sobering floor debate, House Bill 4793 passed. The new law allows for private home distilling of moonshine – five gallons for a household with one adult; 10 gallons for a household with two or more.