This Week in the House of Delegates

For the week ending Jan. 20, 2023

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates have passed five of its bills to the Senate for consideration, the first being House Bill 2526, which would gradually reduce the personal income tax by 50 percent over three consecutive years.

“It’s a very safe plan,” said House Finance Committee Vice Chairman John Hardy, R-Berkeley. “We’re doing this with no tax shifting, which is very important.” The bill passed the full House Jan. 18 by a vote of 95-2.

A bill that passed the full House Thursday by a unanimous vote would leverage the state’s position in the fast lane for digitally titling vehicles. House Bill 2506 allows the DMV to create a title clearinghouse for businesses not based in West Virginia.

“The bill takes advantage of that e-titling process, which we’ve heard in the committee has taken a 40-day process on paper to a four-day process,” said House Technology and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Daniel Linville, R-Cabell. “The result of that makes West Virginia one of … if not the fastest place in the country to title vehicles.”

Linville said the titling fee is $15 at a bare minimum, so the state road fund will get a $15 boost every time a non-resident business titles a vehicle in West Virginia.

“We heard in committee that there were more than potentially 9 million additional titles that could come through the state of West Virginia,” he said. “If you do the math, this easily, within two years, could be $100 million for the road fund.”

The first full week of the regular session also saw the first completed legislation. Senate Bill 161 and Senate Bill 162 both go now to the executive for action.

Senate Bill 161 would allow the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources to sell, lease or dispose of any obsolete or unused property under its control. If the land is in a state park or state forest, the Legislature first would need to grant approval. Senate Bill 162 would allow the DNR to lease tiny pockets of underground open areas so energy producers who liquify the carbon they capture are able to pump it down into those spaces to keep carbon from being released into the atmosphere.

A total of 890 bills have been introduced in the House. The 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight March 11.

Contact: Ann Ali at (304) 340-3323