CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice praised the West Virginia Legislature for passing some of his special session bills Monday before adjourning until next week, while encouraging lawmakers to give his proposal for a 5 percent personal income tax cut a chance.

Speaking during his weekly administration briefing while at the State Capitol Building Tuesday afternoon, Justice thanked lawmakers for going to work on six out of the total 28 bills he placed on the special session agenda when he issued his proclamation Saturday evening.

“We’ve concluded the first round of our special session and had several good things pass,” Justice said. “I’m tickled to death we got this stuff across the finish line and got them in front of the members. There’s lots of good stuff still to come.”

Before gaveling out Monday, lawmakers completed legislation on six supplemental appropriations bills, approving more than $14 million in expenditures. The House of Delegates and state Senate also approved giving the Division of Highways spending authority for $150 million already approved by the Legislature in May’s special session.

Supplemental appropriations included $10 million for the Communities in Schools program; providing $1.2 million for capital improvements at the state Veterans’ Home in Barboursville; providing $375,000 to the West Virginia State Police for capital overlay and improvements; providing $2.1 million for the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University; and providing $379,468 to the state Department of Education’s Aid for Exceptional Children program for pay increases not included in the budget bill passed earlier this year.

That leaves 22 bills remaining on the special session agenda, including Senate Bill 2025/House Bill 225, Justice’s 5 percent personal income tax bill that would return approximately $115 million to taxpayers when fully implemented; and Senate Bill 2026/House Bill 226, a child and dependent care credit against the personal income tax in the amount of 50 percent of the allowed federal tax credit, returning $4.3 million to eligible taxpayers annually.

The House and Senate adopted concurrent resolutions allowing them to adjourn the special session until 6 p.m. Sunday, coinciding with the start of October legislative interim meetings.

“What we’re going to do now is come back in a week or so here at the interims when the Legislature will be here,” Justice said. “They’re still working on all kinds of stuff. They’re still working on the child care stuff. They’re still working on big tax cuts and all kinds of different things we’re still working right now.”

Justice, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate against former Democratic Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott, said he didn’t want to wait until October legislative interims to call a special session because he felt it was too close to the November general election. Justice first proposed the 5 percent personal income tax in July, saying he would call a special session in the fall.

“The reason I didn’t want to wait another week…is we’re simply getting too close to the election,” Justice said. “Let’s get something done. I told the people we were going to do it, and I did it.”

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been skeptical about the state’s ability to absorb a 5 percent personal income tax going into the next fiscal year, which will be set by the next governor and Legislature in 2025. Justice believes the state can afford the 5 percent cut on top of the 4 percent cut going into effect in January 2025 and the 21.25 percent personal income tax cut already in effect.

“We’re in the beginning, but we want to keep it moving…because if people on the outside believe, they’ll move here,” Justice said. “From the standpoint of the Legislature, I salute what they’re doing, and I salute their concern but…if you give that $100 million back to the people, they’re going to spend it here.”