CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Senator Roman Prezioso said Democrats had a great opportunity to raise taxes when they were in the majority and maybe today’s tight budget wouldn’t be so tight.
“We were in the majority party last year,” Prezioso (D-Marion) said during a Senate Finance Committee last week. “I didn’t see any intestinal fortitude to raise taxes.”
A few Democrats in the Senate did introduce bills late last week to raise the cigarette tax and tobacco taxes to raise revenues. Prezioso said if there’s no revenue increases then the legislature will have to make tough decisions, some of which the governor has proposed.
“Come at the end of the day folks you’ve got to balance budget,” Prezioso told fellow senators. “The governor has worked diligently to put this budget together and he’s doing the best he can.”
The Senate Finance Committee is working on the governor’s budget and will soon propose its own version.