West Virginia
State Rundown 11/10: Midterm Madness
• By ITEP Staff
As states continue to tally the remaining votes and the news stories roll out at a breakneck pace, the unofficial results of the 2022 midterm elections have brought with it significant changes across the state tax policy landscape...
Election Day in the States: Voters Deliver Important Victories for Tax Justice
• By Jon Whiten
Voters in Massachusetts and Colorado raised taxes on their wealthiest residents to fund schools, public transportation and school lunches for kids while making their tax codes more equitable. And voters in West Virginia defeated a proposal to deeply cut taxes, mostly for businesses, and drain the coffers of county and local governments.
Measures on the November Ballot Could Improve or Worsen State Tax Codes
• By Jon Whiten
In a couple of weeks, voters in a handful of states will weigh in on several tax-related ballot measures that could make state tax codes more equitable and raise money for public services, or take states in the opposite direction, making tax systems less fair and draining state coffers of dollars needed to maintain critical […]
State Rundown 10/5: Forecasting Ain’t Easy
• By ITEP Staff
Although the weather is beginning to cool down in parts of the country, the same cannot be said for many state economies, which are still running hot. That, however, doesn’t mean that the good times are guaranteed to last...
State Rundown 9/21: Earth, Wind, Fire & Taxes Edition
• By ITEP Staff
Do you remember/the big tax news innn September? Well, if not, we at ITEP got you covered...
State Rundown 9/7: Labor Day Week Provides Sobering Reminder of Steps Forward, Back
• By ITEP Staff
Though Labor Day has passed, advocates on the ground in states across the country are continuing to uphold the spirit of the labor movement...
State Rundown 8/10: States Still Talking Taxes as IRA Dominates Headlines
• By ITEP Staff
While federal tax policy has dominated the headlines with the Senate’s recent approval of the Inflation Reduction Act, lawmakers in statehouses across the country...
State Rundown 7/27: It’s (Sales Tax) Holiday Season, But Who’s Really Celebrating?
• By ITEP Staff
It’s the holiday season – well, the sales tax holiday season, that is. But after taking a closer look, you may notice that there is little to celebrate...
Most States Used Surpluses to Reduce Taxes But Not in Sustainable or Progressive Ways
• By Kamolika Das
The average person on the street would have no idea that many states experienced unprecedented budget surpluses this year. Iowa, for instance, has the most structurally deficient bridges of any state with nearly 1 in 5 falling apart. The Iowa Board of Regents proposed a 4.25 percent tuition increase for all three state universities and […]
The Tax Legislation Debated in Congress Would Reduce Inflation and Help Americans Deal with Rising Costs
• By Steve Wamhoff
Opposing a fully paid-for spending bill because of inflation concerns does not make any sense. Opposing a deficit-reducing bill because of inflation is absurd.
ITEP: Tax and Climate Provisions Are What Americans Want and Need
• By Amy Hanauer
In response to conflicting reports on negotiations with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on tax increases and climate provisions, Amy Hanauer, ITEP Executive Director, released the following statement: Sen. Joe Manchin may be uncertain about higher taxes on the rich and corporations, but the American people are not. Large majorities of Americans support the tax […]
State Rundown 7/13: Let’s Make a Deal
• By ITEP Staff
From the Bay State to the Golden State, lawmakers across the nation are making deals and negotiating budgets with major tax implications...
No Reason to Water Down the Tax Reforms in the Build Back Better Act
• By Steve Wamhoff
There is no justification for recently reported efforts to scale back the tax reforms in the Build Back Better Act, a bill passed by the House of Representatives in November that would raise significant revenue and make our tax code more progressive by enacting widely popular proposals. (See ITEP’s report on the BBBA.) Of course, […]
Creating Racially and Economically Equitable Tax Policy in the South
• By Kamolika Das
The South's negative outcomes on measures of wellbeing are the result of a century and a half of policy choices. Lawmakers have many options available to make concrete improvements to tax policy that would raise more revenue, do so equitably, and generate resources that could improve schools, healthcare, social services, infrastructure, and other public resources.
State Rundown 6/15: States on Alert as Inflation Concerns Rise
• By ITEP Staff
With inflation dominating headlines both nationally and locally, state lawmakers around the U.S. are searching for ways to put their revenues to good use, and not surprisingly, some options are better than others...
State Rundown 4/27: States Remain Active on the Tax Front
• By ITEP Staff
While tax discussions among federal lawmakers continue in fits and starts, major tax news continues to make waves across the nation...
Some Lawmakers Continue to Mythologize Income Tax Elimination Despite Widespread Opposition
• By Kamolika Das
One of the most surprising trends this legislative session is that conservative leaders and the business community joined with progressive advocates to oppose income tax repeal plans. There is a general consensus that income tax repeal is a step too far.
State Rundown 4/13: Recent State Budgets Prove Not All Tax Cuts are the Same
• By ITEP Staff
Two prominent blue states made headlines this past week when they passed budget agreements that include relief for taxpayers, and fortunately, the budget plans don’t include costly tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy...
Frequently Asked Questions and Concerns About the President Billionaires’ Minimum Income Tax
• By Steve Wamhoff
Find the answers to some frequently asked questions about President Biden's Billionaires’ Minimum Income Tax, which would limit very wealthy individuals’ ability to put off paying income taxes on capital gains until they sell assets.
Bloomberg: Did You Pay Your ‘Fair Share’ of Federal Income Tax This Year?
March 31, 2022
And according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the impact would have a definite geographic tilt. The states where more than 40% of residents would face tax increases are largely in the South, including Mississippi, West Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Georgia, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Florida. read more
Fortune: President Biden says his ‘Billionaire Minimum Income Tax’ would raise $360 billion. How does it work?
March 29, 2022
The highest likelihood is through “reconciliation” — a budget process for passing fiscal legislation with a simple majority of Senate votes. That will require buy-in from West Virginia Sen. Joe Machin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who have each objected to proposals to tax the ultra-wealthy in the past. Steve Wamhoff, director of tax policy […]
State Rundown 3/23: Spring Brings More Tax Happenings
• By ITEP Staff
Spring is around the corner and like those pesky allergies that come along with it, equally pesky tax proposals continue to pop up in states across the U.S....
State Rundown 3/16: The Scramble to Curb Rising Gas Prices is On
• By ITEP Staff
Rising gas prices have lawmakers around the country searching for ways to ease the pressure on consumers and almost half the states are considering reducing or temporarily repealing their gas tax, but another idea is taking hold...
State Rundown 3/9: One State Stands Out Amid the Avalanche of Tax Cuts
• By ITEP Staff
The avalanche of regressive tax-cut proposals coming out of state legislatures has not slowed over the course of the winter months, but one state has provided a shot of hope to advocates of tax equity...
New 50-State Analysis: Poorest Two-Fifths Would Bear the Brunt of Sen. Rick Scott’s Proposed Tax Increase
• By ITEP Staff
“Billionaires are getting richer, and some of them are altogether avoiding taxes or paying a tiny percentage relative to their income and wealth. The 2017 tax law further worsened inequality by giving huge tax breaks to the rich. It’s inconceivable that a lawmaker would propose to single out the most vulnerable households for higher taxes.” --Steve Wamhoff
