CHARLESTON, W.Va.—The chief executive of one of the nation’s largest coal producers, Murray Energy, made an emotional call Wednesday for steep cuts in state mining taxes to support an industry in free fall.
Raising his voice frequently during a 38-minute speech, Robert Murray blasted politicians for “platitudes and lip service” as the coal industry sheds thousands of jobs and producers go bankrupt. He called on state leaders to drop the coal severance tax from 5 to 2 percent, saying coal has paid more than its fair share to West Virginia already.
“These government officials can no longer say that they support coal people in this state” if they don’t, Murray told the West Virginia Coal Mining Symposium.
Taxes could be raised on tobacco and alcohol, natural gas production and professional services to make up for the break for coal, he said.
Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has proposed dropping a 56-cent-per-ton surtax that generated $64 million last year to help pay off a workers’ compensation debt. But the governor’s budget office says reducing the severance tax can’t be considered, because doing so would cost more than $100 million annually and add to the pain of cash-strapped counties, said Department of Revenue spokeswoman Lalena Price.
