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Tax Exemption Proposal for Poor Virginia Communities

Don Rush

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia state lawmaker wants residents in the state's poorest cities, towns and counties to be exempt from state taxes for a decade.

The Roanoke Times reports that Del. Will Morefield plans to submit a bill in next year's legislation session to exempt people and companies from the state income tax.

Morefield said the legislation is aimed at boosting economic development in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia, which has struggled in recent years.

His Democratic opponent in this year's election, Bill Bunch, said the legislation was corporate welfare that wouldn't really help the poor.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.