Tomblin vetoes budget

As promised, Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has vetoed the budget passed by the Republican-led Legislature. In Wednesday’s veto, Tomblin also announced a deal with the Senate that includes a 65-cent tax increase on cigarettes. He beckoned the House to endorse it. Lawmakers return Sunday. Without a budget, the government shuts down July 1.
Tomblin consistently said he wouldn’t approve a plan dependent on single-year patches. He offered several tax increase ideas.