The House Bill 2018, the state budget bill of West Virginia, passed the House of Delegates on Sunday morning by a vote of 63 to 37. The bill also passed the Senate just before the midnight Saturday.
According to Jared Hunt, the House of Delegates Communication Director, the budget bill does not include any tax increases.
Now the bill has passed both the House and Senate, it will have to be approved by the Governor Jim Justice.
Senate President Mitch Carmichael said he anticipates a veto from the Governor. Carmichael said he thinks the bill is a responsible budget and also controls spending, but he believes that it takes too much from the Rainy Day Fund.
According to Jacque Bland, the State Senate Communications Director, the budget heading to the Governor does not raise any taxes and also would use $90 million from the Rainy Day Fund.
The Chair of the House Finance Committee Eric Nelson said the proposed budget is worth of $4.1 billion. He said that the bill is $140 million less than what the house previously planned for. Nelson said the biggest change for the house was that the DHHR Medical Services were reduced from $490 million to $350 million.
The House Speaker Tim Armstead said in a press release that there would be no cuts to the elderly and also disabled waiver programs administered by the DHHR.
Budget also includes a $48 million cut to the medicaid and Nelson said the budget does not include any funds for the Governor Jim Justice's "Save Our State"
The bill also includes no cuts to the public education, but does propose slightly higher cuts of just under $30 million for the higher education, including the Marshall University and also the West Virginia University.
The House of Delegates has concluded for the 2017 legislative session and also the Speaker Tim Armstead is urging Governor Justice to sign the bill.
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The budget bill was passed, but not without any controversy.
Governor Justice held a press conference on Saturday night and said that his office and also the Senate were coming to a compromise. However, that is not the bill which was passed. Senate Communications Director Jacque Bland said that the particular bill has died.
Carmichael said the Senate had a 400-500 page document to look through and also they need time to validate the document with their colleagues in the House.
President Carmichael said they are in conversation with the Governor's office to ensure that they can deliver on the tax reform pledge.
Mrudula Duddempudi.
