worked to undermine a state law that requires
the ballot box in 2007. All that said, spending
legislative supermajorities to raise taxes, but vot-
growth has been fairly modest under Gregoire
ers rebuked her when they reinforced the law at
compared with many other states.
West Virginia
Joe Manchin, Democrat
Legislature: Democratic
Grade: A
Took Office: January 2005
Joe Manchin was elected promising to pull
phased-in repeal of the business franchise tax
West Virginia out of the economic doldrums,
and a reduction in the corporate income tax
and he has taken important steps to that end.
rate, which will save state businesses about
After an initial severance tax increase in 2005,
$120 million annually when fully phased in.
Manchin has concentrated on cutting business
Manchin has also reduced the sales tax on gro-
taxes to help boost investment in his state. In
ceries and supported various other tax cuts. On
2006, Manchin approved a reduction in the
spending, Manchin has been very restrained in
business franchise tax and the corporate
his budgeting, calling for overall reductions in
income tax. In 2007, he cut the franchise tax
most years, but the legislature has ended up
further. In 2008, Manchin signed into law a
passing substantial increases.
Wisconsin
Jim Doyle, Democrat
Legislature: Divided
Grade: D
Took Office: January 2003
When running for governor, James Doyle
and increased real estate transfer taxes. Doyle
pledged not to raise taxes. He mostly kept
has also refused to go along with the legisla-
that promise his first few years, and even pro-
ture in providing property tax relief, and he is
vided a smattering of tax cuts. His fiscal poli-
fond of using increased debt to finance
cies then took a turn for the worse. In 2007 he
spending. But Doyle's spending record is bet-
proposed an array of large tax increases total-
ter than his tax record, and this year he is
ing about $900 million, including higher cig-
insisting on budget restraint to eliminate a
arette taxes, hospital taxes, oil company taxes,
deficit.
Wyoming
Dave Freudenthal, Democrat
Legislature: Republican
In 2008, Manchin
Grade: D
Took Office: January 2003
signed into law a
surpluses in recent years. Instead of tax cuts,
Governor Freudenthal got off to a bad
phased-in repeal
Freudenthal has launched expensive pro-
start his first year by backing tax increases on
of the business
gram initiatives to disperse the overflowing
cigarette consumers and property owners.
franchise tax and
funds in state coffers. Per capita spending has
Since then, he has proposed some modest tax
grown at an average rate of about 16 percent
breaks, including cutting the sales tax by half
a reduction in the
annually under Freudenthal, which is the
a percentage point. However, the governor
corporate income
highest growth rate of any governor in the
could have done much more to reduce taxes
tax rate.
because the state has enjoyed huge budget
study.
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