Charleston mayor blasts Armstead as budget session resumes
On the day West Virginia lawmakers resumed a special session to create a budget, Charleston Mayor Danny Jones entered the fray, criticizing House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, for spearheading House Republicans’ blockage of a budget supported by the governor, the state Senate and House Democrats.
“This is the Speaker from the ‘Land of No’ — no plan, no budget, no progress, no nothing,” Jones said in a news release. “He demanded to be included in the Governor’s meetings on the budget, but once there he was little more than an errand runner to and from his caucus. If the Speaker cannot provide leadership toward a workable budget solution, we will share the facts and the House roll call votes with everyone who contacts our office to complain about a state road or bridge in Charleston that continues to deteriorate.”
The budget the House voted down, among other changes, raised the state gas tax and various Division of Motor Vehicles fees to pay for road construction throughout the state.
The House and Senate both passed a budget heavy on spending cuts just after midnight on the last night of the regular session. Gov. Jim Justice vetoed that budget and worked up the compromise with Senate leadership that eases some of the spending cuts, in exchange for slashing income tax rates.
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