Federal funding for arts and culture has been curtailed. Trey Kay looks at the reasons in the latest Us & Them. Also, the state board of education has approved another round of school closures and consolidations, the state Legislature is expected to take up several bills in the coming session to address foster care and children who are homeless, and U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was laid to rest Tuesday at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton.
The Senate’s Transportation Committee has voted to advance a bill that would hike some taxes and fees to help increase funding for the state’s roadways.
The bill was presented to lawmakers by Gov. Jim Justice, but is not part of his plan to generate more than $1 billion in revenues for a bond initiative.
Senate Bill 477’s largest provision is an increase to the state’s gasoline tax. Initially, Justice was asking for a 10 cent hike, but Senators were presented with a version of the bill that calls for a 4.5 cent increase.
The bill would also raise fees at the Division of Motor Vehicles starting in July of this year.
Some of those fees—which haven’t been increased in decades– would increase by just a few dollars, others, like the annual vehicle registration fee, would increase by about $30. The rates would then be tied to the national consumer price index to automatically increase every five years for inflation.
Democratic Sen. Bob Beach almost immediately spoke in favor of the proposal in committee, but some lobby interests did not agree with Beach’s support.
Louis Southworth, who represents Go Mart convenience stores in West Virginia, told committee members the increased gasoline tax will only hurt retailers in border counties, who have already been impacted by the 2016 cigarette tax increase.
Credit Will Price / West Virginia Legislative Photography
/
West Virginia Legislative Photography
Sen. Ed Gaunch supports the governor’s proposal to increase the gasoline tax.
Republican Sen. Patricia Rucker from Jefferson County said that is her reality in the eastern panhandle. She drives just two miles to Virginia to buy gas some 35 cents per gallon cheaper than in West Virginia.
“All of those fees that you have before you in Senate Bill 477, that’s in total about $90 a year,” Mike Clowser with the West Virginia Contractors Association told the committee. “That is less than 25 cents a day in what it costs the average West Virginian.”
A higher gas tax and increased DMV fees means more money for road maintenance and construction projects, which would benefit the contractors and construction workers Clowser represents.
Republican Sen. Ed Gaunch said he’s struggled with trying to find another way to fund the state’s road system- something other than increasing taxes and fees- but he hasn’t been able to find one. That’s why he’s supporting the governor’s proposal.
His fellow committee members, with the exception of Rucker, joined him in his support for the bill. It now goes to the Senate’s Finance Committee for further consideration.
The pay raises proposed by Morrisey will apply to state employees who are funded through the general revenue budget, which includes the vast majority of state workers. This category covers teachers, State Police, corrections officers and many other essential public servants.
For some Americans, this year’s political earthquakes hit close to home. Trey Kay reflects on federal budget cuts, the elimination of programs and agencies and the resulting layoffs of hundreds of thousands of workers. 2025 was also a year highlighting escalated immigration enforcement, and the deployment of National Guard troops in U.S. cities. One of those missions resulted in the tragic loss of a West Virginia National Guard soldier. On this end-of-year episode of Us & Them, we examine how today’s culture-war battles are reshaping the nation’s foundation.
Federal funding for arts and culture has been curtailed. Trey Kay looks at the reasons in the latest Us & Them. Also, the state board of education has approved another round of school closures and consolidations, the state Legislature is expected to take up several bills in the coming session to address foster care and children who are homeless, and U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was laid to rest Tuesday at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton.
