West Virginia lawmakers agree to end soda tax

West Virginia's 71-year-old soda tax took a step closer to elimination Saturday when the House of Delegates adopted Senate Bill 533, which repeals the tax in July 2024, according to a Charleston Gazette-Mail report.

The state senate then sent the bill to Gov. Jim Justice.

The tax applies to bottled soft drinks, dry mixtures used to make soft drinks and soft drink syrups.

The tax benefits the West Virginia University School of Medicine, which receives $14 million annually.

To compensate for the lost funds, the state approved $14 million form state insurance tax revenue.