Morrisey Urges Legislature To Pass Full Tax Cut

The West Virginia Legislature is still working its way through next fiscal year’s budget, but Gov. Patrick Morrisey wants the body to follow his lead. 

Morrisey submitted his proposed budget to the legislature the morning after his State of the State address in January. In it, he included a 5% personal income tax cut and full funding for the Hope Scholarship program. He asked lawmakers to come up with another 5% tax cut as well. 

“I really believe that we need to have an across-the-board income tax cut,” he said. “I’ve said that because I’m very worried about the affordability challenges that we’re facing, and I also know that we have to stay more competitive with other states that we touch.”

Morrisey urged lawmakers to adopt a state budget that fully funds school choice, protects healthcare and public safety, delivers meaningful tax relief, and strengthens West Virginia’s long-term competitiveness.

The governor also called on lawmakers to advance legislation that would authorize funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). This legislation would allow the state to spend nearly $200 million in secured federal funding to expand telehealth, recruit providers, strengthen behavioral health services, stabilize rural hospitals, and improve patient transportation.

Currently, two bills (SB 571, HB 4717) relating to the RHTP are in their respective chambers’ Finance Committees and haven’t moved since late January. 

The Senate produced a budget bill with a 5% cut and a separate bill creating the additional 5%. The House of Delegates has resisted these cuts and the lower chamber’s budget bill doesn’t include one at all. 

Currently, the Senate’s budget bill has been advanced to third reading with the right to amend in the House, while the House’s own budget bill is on second reading in the lower chamber.