On the eve of the start of the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers concluded a two-day special session Tuesday by passing several bills aimed at luring large industrial manufacturers to West Virginia.
The West Virginia House of Delegates passed six bills Tuesday morning, including Senate Bill 1001, the West Virginia Industrial Advancement Act. The bill passed 91-2, with Delegates Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, and Laura Kimble, R-Harrison, being the only no votes.
The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Jim Justice, who called the special session Saturday night. The state Senate passed SB 1001 Monday in a 30-1 vote with Sen. Owens Brown, D-Ohio, the only no vote.
SB 1001 creates several tax incentives that kick in when large capital and labor-intensive industrial manufacturers make certain investments and employment commitments.
“Because of the policies we have enacted here in recent years, we’re finally getting the types of looks similar to what we have here before us,” House Majority Whip Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson. “For me, it’s not really a difficult call at all when you look at the economic impact figures.”
