West Virginia weighs income tax cut to stem population loss

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With West Virginia about to lose another congressional seat because of steady population decline, some Republican lawmakers are convinced a massive income tax cut is the key to reversing the trend. A controversial tax on groceries was scrapped from the Senate bill after the governor called it a “showstopper.” In an interview before his bill stalled, Justice said the state is in a position to gain from an income tax cut because of its proximity to the East Coast and population centers. “And if you don’t think this will drive population to the state of West Virginia, you’re completely out of your mind,” Justice said. Jared Walczak of the Washington-based Tax Foundation, a right-leaning think tank, points to nine states that have no income tax, saying “there is a real appeal.” But he said there’s no “silver bullet” in taxation, and cautioned against overly rosy estimates: “It’s sometimes easy to get carried away in what the effects will be.” On Good Friday, about two dozen people outside the state Capitol in Charleston held signs and spoke against the legislature’s proposals, which float cuts to higher education.