The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill was, on Saturday, March 6, approved by the United States Senate. One of the main points of this bill is that it is expected to put up to $1,400 in the hands of qualifying Americans.
An additional provision of the bill is that states may not use any of the federal funding “to directly or indirectly offset the net tax-revenue of such state or territory.”
During his Monday, March 8 coronavirus response media-briefing, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was asked his thoughts regarding the relief bill, and how it may affect his proposal to repeal the state income tax; specifically the governor’s suggested “rainy day” fund.
“I’ve said over and over that, I feel like, that we wouldn’t have a reason for another stimulus package at any amount if we did not, in fact, undersize the stimulus packages that we’ve done in the past,” Justice said. “I frankly believe that really and truly, a bigger stimulus package at this point in time, is what is needed to finally get up the steepest part of the mountain. I am an adamant believer that we should not be bailing out pension funds and doing things that don’t have anything to do whatsoever with COVID. [] Our federal government has a way of putting so much pork into the situation that it, honestly, you know, well it’s a terrible mistake and it happens all the time. At the end of the day, I still believe that we needed to go big or not go at all.”
Justice further stated, “Now, let me just say, that this is terrible. What was written in the law was written primarily by Joe Manchin. Joe Manchin is supposed to be your representative, West Virginia. And you know what Joe Manchin is doing? He’s still trying to hit at me. That’s all there is to it. He doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about the people of this state. Literally, Joe Manchin is selling his influence and making money. Joe Manchin has been a politician forever, yet he’s a rich man. How could that be? Absolutely, he makes money selling his influence.”
Justice went on to say how he “ran against him (Manchin) in the last election, and won every single county in the state,” referring to Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ben Salango as Manchin’s “puppet.”
“When it really boils down to it, what he’s (Manchin) doing is hurting West Virginians,” Justice said. “It’s just a slap at West Virginians. My ‘rainy day’ bucket has nothing in the world to do with taking CARES money and putting it in a rainy day bucket for tax relief. Nothing at all.”
Manchin responded to Justice’s criticisms on Monday evening, through a statement released by his office.
“Instead of political attacks that do nothing to help hard-working West Virginians,” Manchin began, “I welcome the opportunity to speak with Governor Justice about the best possible ways to improve the lives of West Virginians with the more than $2 billion in federal funding that I secured for our state in that bill.”
The West Virginia Daily News will provide updates regarding this situation as additional details are made available.
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