The former president of West Liberty University, Robin Capehart led the institution from 2007 to 2015. Since leaving his position at West Liberty, Robin Capehart, who holds a masters of law in taxation, has served as an advocate for tax reform in his home state of West Virginia.
Despite efforts aimed at reforming the state’s tax structure, the West Virginia Legislature’s most recent budget bill was passed without any tax changes included. State lawmakers debated for months over tax reform during a session that came to a close in late June 2017.
During the session, members of the Senate and House, as well as West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, offered differing views on how to modify the state’s tax system. Ultimately, the disagreements prevented progress toward tax reform.
Faced with a government shutdown that was set to begin on July 1, the House and Senate agreed on a $4.23 billion final budget, which spends approximately $85 million less than in the 2017 fiscal year and relies on cuts to higher education and community programs and services. The legislature’s failure to agree on tax reform means that the issue will likely be a major focus of debate again in the next session.
