CHARLESTON — Senators passed a budget that trims back what Gov. Jim Justice requested.
Senators introduced their version of the budget bill Wednesday evening, suspended rules and passed it in three straight readings — although this is just the first of several steps to pass a final version. The Senate’s version might look only somewhat like what ultimately sticks.
Senators passed the bill 31-0. Senate Finance Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, gave a rundown of the spending, but there was not otherwise any discussion.
The Senate’s proposed general revenue budget for the coming fiscal year is $4.9 billion.
That’s just a notch higher than the $4.8 billion general revenue budget for the current fiscal year.
The Justice administration, before the regular legislative session began, proposed a general fund budget of $5.22 billion.
Justice’s proposal included a few proposed tax cuts along with spending increases such as pay raises for state workers.
There was no mention of pay raises in a budget presentation before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.
The Senate has not taken action so far on the tax cut proposals, including one to eliminate state taxes on Social Security benefits. And although the House of Delegates passed bills reflecting pay raises for state police, educators and non-uniformed corrections workers, the Senate hasn’t yet done the same.
The budget proposal introduced in the Senate on Wednesday is the first step in what will be a series of bounces over the next week or so.
The House of Delegates will have its own version of a budget bill, and eventually the two proposals will have to meet.
During a Senate Finance meeting Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Ben Queen asked some questions about the scope of the budget proposal.
“We like to use the term flat budget around here,” said Queen, R-Harrison, pointing out proposed spending increases for the Department of Education. “Everything else is pretty much flat, correct?“
The answer was yes.
