As of today in West Virginia, cigarettes are more expensive, joining a union can’t be a job requirement and electronics once again can be discarded in landfills.
To balance the state budget, West Virginia will raise its cigarette tax by 65 cents to $1.20 a pack starting Friday. E-cigarette and other tobacco product taxes will also increase. The hike is expected to raise $98 million annually.
The move helps fill a budget hole left by sputtering coal and low natural gas prices.
July 1 starts the budget year, and several other laws also are taking effect.
Coal and natural gas producers will get a tax break of $110 million combined. They had been paying surcharges to cover a workers’ compensation debt for years.
A right-to-work law is kicking in. New and updated collective bargaining agreements starting Friday can’t require workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment.
The law on disposal of electronic devices such as televisions and computers changes today, the director of the Wood County Solid Waste Authority said.
The law will again allow electronics to be disposed of in landfills, meaning residential customers can leave them at their curb with other household trash, according to John Reed, director of the Solid Waste Authority in Wood County. All trash hauling companies will be required to take them at no additional charge to the customer once every month, he said.
Under the Bulky Goods Removal Requirement of the West Virginia Public Service Commission, trash hauling companies must remove bulky goods such as electronics, furniture and tires at least once a month for every customer at no additional charge.
In West Virginia, customers may leave anything out for the trash hauler to collect and dispose of as long as it is not considered a hazardous material, such as pesticides and insecticides, without an additional fee, Reed said.
“This a great service to the citizens of our state that is not available in most other areas, and residents should take advantage of it and help dispose of all unwanted items, making West Virginia one of the cleanest states anywhere,” Reed said.
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