Nov. 30 was the deadline for West Virginia to provide $2.3 million to the Maryland Department of Transportation to keep the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) at its current service. Otherwise, the service in West Virginia would be reduced from six trains per weekday to two.
But it’s unclear if an agreement was reached.
In an emailed statement to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the Maryland Transit Administration said that MARC is still operating normally in West Virginia, and they would not “implement any change in service without first issuing a 30-day notice.”
The MTA also stated that they remain open to discussions with the West Virginia Rail Authority on “any concerns regarding the proposed service change.”
During the 2019 state Legislative session, Maryland requested $3.4 million to keep the MARC service in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, and the Legislature agreed to fund $1.1 million. In August, Maryland announced they would reduce service unless the remaining amount was paid.
In October, Gov. Jim Justice told local municipalities in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties that if they managed to come up with $300,000, his office would fund the remaining $2 million. But, only about $260,000 was pulled together before the Nov. 30 deadline.
The Governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment before this story was published.
In Morgan County, the Economic Development Authority approved a resolution last week asking Maryland to extend MARC service into Morgan County as a possible funding solution.
The Morgan County EDA cited increased ridership opportunities, increased revenues and increased job opportunities as a few of the benefits of expansion.
Executive Director Daryl Cowles, who’s also a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, said they haven’t received a response from Maryland or Gov. Justice on this proposal.
Currently, the MARC train only serves two counties in West Virginia: Berkeley and Jefferson.
Today, at least 250 West Virginians commute to work using the MARC train during the week, according to the Maryland Transit Administration. It’s been serving West Virginia commuters living in the Eastern Panhandle since the 1970s, but West Virginia has largely never paid for the service except through tickets and upkeep of its West Virginia stations.
West Virginia lawmakers in the Eastern Panhandle have a long list of issues they hope to tackle in the upcoming state Legislative session, including reintroducing a controversial bill to allow eligible people to carry guns on college campuses.
On Friday, lawmakers from Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties spoke about the upcoming legislative outlook at a forum in Martinsburg.
They listed several issues they hope will get attention this session, such as expanding natural gas access, tax and education reform, and a more uniform funding formula for the state’s higher education institutions.
House Majority Leader Daryl Cowles, a Republican from Morgan County, said he plans to reintroduce a bill that would allow an eligible person to carry a gun on college campuses.
“The campus-carry bill will be a tough bill, and there will be some opposition, I think from WVU, from some of the state institutions,” Cowles said. “But I think we can all come together if they’re willing to compromise and communicate with some of the members of the House Republican caucus.”
People 18 years or older in West Virginia can already openly carry a gun without a permit, and people 21 and over can conceal-carry without a permit.
Other issues cited by lawmakers Friday included fixing issues with the Public Employees Insurance Agency, giving another pay increase to teachers and public employees, economic and workforce development, getting rid of the business inventory tax, increasing broadband access, and continuing to combat the opioid epidemic.
Eastern Panhandle lawmakers met for a Legislative Wrap-Up panel in Martinsburg Thursday, and figuring out the 2018 state budget was at the forefront of lawmakers’ minds.
Eastern Panhandle lawmakers pointed out several accomplishments from this year’s legislative session during Thursday’s Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce wrap-up panel. Accomplishments like legislation to fight the state’s drug epidemic and one to increase broadband access.
But a $500 million budget gap still looms. House Majority Leader Daryl Cowles, of Morgan County, says despite all the back-and-forth on the budget, he feels a budget deal is within reach.
“I’m optimistic actually,” Cowles said, “I think the opportunity is ripening for real compromise and discussion on solving this budget crisis, this year and for the future years is upon us, and I’m optimistic.”
Governor Jim Justice announced Wednesday evening he would call back the West Virginia Legislature on May 4 for a special budget session. Lawmakers have until June 30 to pass a balanced budget, or the state faces a government shutdown.
Members in the House of Delegates have approved their budget bill for fiscal year 2018 – bringing $140 million additional dollars in revenue and making $75 million in cuts to government agencies. The House’s budget is largely based on revenue brought in under a Senate bill that was drastically changed by the chamber’s finance committee.
That bill, Senate Bill 484, originally would have just captured some $12 million a year that goes into the state Road Fund, but while it still contains the provision, it’s been transformed into what House leadership is calling a tax reform measure. The House’s version looks to broaden the base of taxable goods and services in two phases, July and then October of this year. Under the plan, things like cell phones or personal services would become subject to the sales tax, bringing in some $140 million in additional revenue in the 2018 budget.
Credit Perry Bennett / West Virginia Legislative Photography
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West Virginia Legislative Photography
Del. Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan, House Majority Leader.
The bill would also require that by July 2018, the state’s current 6 percent sales tax would be reduced to 5.5 percent, then to 5.25 percent in July 2019. Over time, if the fiscal climate is favorable in the state, the tax rate could go down to as low as 4.75 percent. That reduction of the overall rate will also lead to deficits in the state budget, that is if spending doesn’t increase in the state.
Majority Leader Daryl Cowles of Morgan County adamantly supports the measure, saying West Virginia’s border counties will see a boom in revenue.
“It’s tax relief for the people of West Virginia,” Cowles said, “It does capture revenue in the short-term, it is very quickly, within two short years, revenue neutral as the rate is lowered for everyone on every purchase, point of sale that’s taxed. And then, for another two years, the rate drops all the way down to 4.75. Imagine that. Imagine the growth our border counties could see if we have a competitive advantage at a tax rate of 4.75 considerably lower than all of our surrounding neighbors.”
But Minority Finance Chair Delegate Brent Boggs, of Braxton County, says he’s concerned this revenue idea lacks fairness.
“It seems like with this, when we’re talking about broadening the base, we’re really not broadening much, because it’s all the things that we’re not picking up, and we seem to be disproportionately hitting the people that are at the low income and middle income level, and possibly that takes in a lot of our seniors,” Boggs said.
After nearly two hours of debate, Senate Bill 484 passed 52 to 48.
Credit Perry Bennett / West Virginia Legislative Photography
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West Virginia Legislative Photography
Del. Brent Boggs, D-Braxton, House Minority Finance Chair.
House Budget
In an evening floor session Wednesday, delegates also took up the chamber’s budget bill, House Bill 2018, which relies on $75 million in cuts to state agencies to balance the budget. The House’s budget no longer includes the 2 percent pay raise to classroom teachers first proposed by Gov. Jim Justice. It reduces funding for West Virginia four-year higher education institutions by 6 percent and the state’s community and technical colleges by 5 percent.
The budget also grants the Higher Education Policy Commission the authority to decide how the state’s higher education dollars will be divided between institutions.
It was this part of the budget that had some delegates in the House concerned. Several Democrats argued the provision is unconstitutional, including Delegate Rodney Miller, a Democrat from Boone County, who says the House had even considered getting rid of the organization at one point.
“It’s interesting that we are giving them the pot of money to let them be the arbitrator, the disseminator of this funding; letting them be the ultimate choice when at the same time,” Miller said, “during this legislative session, we had, if I’m not mistaken, we had some legislation proposed to actually either get rid of or completely alter, significantly change the CTCs and HEPCs in our state. Now we’re going to give them all this power and authority and money. It’s very confusing with the consistency of what we have going on in this body.”
Credit Perry Bennett / West Virginia Legislative Photography
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West Virginia Legislative Photography
Del. Mike Caputo, D-Marion.
Democrat Mike Caputo, of Marion County, says allowing the HEPC to control higher education spending will result in a lack of accountability.
“These folks, they’re appointed for a certain term. They don’t have to account to the people; they don’t put their name on the ballot. We put our name on the ballot. And that bothers me,” Caputo explained. “I don’t know who come up with this crazy idea to throw all the money in one pot and just let some people toss it out how they feel without any accountability. Mr. Chairman, with all due respect, that to me is just absolutely irresponsible.”
Republican Delegate Mark Zatezalo, of Hancock County, spoke in support of the budget bill, and suggested the HEPC work more closely with the state’s colleges and universities than the Legislature does.
“We are allocating resources to two groups who have the most interface with higher education, and I’m wondering if they might have more insight into how things are spent at the higher education level than we do,” Zatezalo noted. “I certainly, you know, I can see money go in and out of here, and I can see money allocated for schools; frankly I’m not in the weeds enough for each school to understand exactly what they need and exactly who needs the money.”
Credit Perry Bennett / West Virginia Legislative Photography
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West Virginia Legislative Photography
Del. Mark Zatezalo, R-Hancock.
House Finance Chair Eric Nelson argued this was a tough budget year all around, but when it came to giving the HEPC the authority, it makes the most sense.
“I mentioned we had a bunch of agencies come before us to give budget presentations. The presentation for Higher Ed and CTC was made by HEPC and the CTC chancellors,” Nelson said. “It was not the individual colleges. You know what, we had very tough choices, and we’ve been in some unchartered territory. It’s been a balancing act. This balance is structurally sound; difficult decisions had to be made. Without a doubt, this has been an all-inclusive and a very transparent process.”
The House’s budget bill passed on a vote of 58 to 42.
On The Legislature Today, Sen. Ryan Ferns and Del. Daryl Cowles react the governor’s new plans to balance the 2018 budget.
Justice’s proposal includes increased taxes on soda and cigarettes, along with a smaller hike to the consumer sales tax, but is contingent on lawmakers finding additional cuts.
Both Majority Leaders believe the plan still places the burden too squarely on the backs of West Virginians and they want to see a reduction in the size of government.
Members of the House voted to advance a bill that cuts the West Virginia Women’s Commission $150,000 budget. A group of Republican women backed the bill.
Today was civil rights lobbying day at the statehouse, a lobbying event that included organizations like the NAACP, West Virginia Free and Fairness West Virginia– all groups that work to end discrimination in the state. The groups are backing several pieces of legislation this year, but one bill in particular, one that’s been tried and has failed in the past, is receiving bipartisan support.
