State Budget Crunch and Webster County State Employees

Governor Tomblin has called to Legislature back into session to consider

an array of taxes to balance the state budget.

Due primarily to the ongoing decline of coal severance revenues, the budget of the State of West Virginia is not faring much better than the nearly bankrupt Webster County budget.

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has called the legislature back into special session beginning on Monday, May 16 to deal with a $64 million shortfall in the current budget and a projected shortfall of $270 million in the 2017 budget.  

Among the Governor's proposals to balance the state budget is a bill to give him the authority to furlough state employees if necessary.

It is more than likely that the Legislators will waste a lot of time and money attempting to reach an agreement on budget cuts and/or new taxes.  The West Virginia Legislature is mandated by the West Virginia Constitution to pass a balanced budget.  The Legislature wasted a tremendous amount of time on bills during the 60 day regular session that only divided its membership and failed to complete the one duty (i.e., passing a budget) they are constitutionally bound to complete.  Taxpayers will now pay the bill for the extended session.

In the past three years, spending in the state budget has been reduced by a combined 20 percent.  Various taxes, such as the food tax, were eliminated as were several business taxes.  These actions were touted by some to make West Virginia more attractive to growing jobs, but employment statistics show otherwise.

Governor's Special Session Proclamation