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Renate E. Pore --
W. Va. Medicaid: A closer look at the numbers

Next to the federal Medicare program for the elderly, West Virginia Medicaid is the single most important health insurance and long-term care program in the state. In 2009, it is expected to generate $2.6 billion in state economic activity (about 4 percent of state GDP) with $2 billion coming from federal funds.

Dean Baker and Ted Boettner -- Bad times in W. Va.: Can the next president help?

Not since the Democratic presidential contest of 1960 between John Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey has West Virginia occupied center stage in a national election. With West Virginia in the spotlight, working families have a rare opportunity to put their economic concerns on the national stage.

Federal Tax Cuts on Investment Income Heavily Favor Top One Percent of West Virginians

In 2003, the U.S. tax rate for capital gains and corporate stock dividends was reduced dramatically. These tax cuts heavily favor the wealthiest Americans and West Virginians.

Medicaid Matters:
Part 1 - An Overview of the Medicaid Program in West Virginia

Your primer to how Medicaid works in West Virginia. Medicaid is one of the most important health care programs in the state as one in five West Virginians receive health benefits directly through the program. This paper describes Medicaid's basic structure, who receives benefits, what those benefits entail, and how enrollment and spending have changed over time. | Read PDF

High Costs, Dubious Benefits: The Fiscal Impact of Tax Cuts in SB 680 and SB 465

This report shows if SB 465 and SB 680 are adopted it will cost the state $531 million in lost revenue by FY 2017. The report highlights the long-term consequences of proposed business tax cuts and recently enacted tax cuts. The lost state revenue due to business tax cuts enacted over the last two years and those being proposed in SB 465 and SB 680 is over $1.2 billion over eleven years or $210 million per year once fully implemented. Read More »

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The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy is a policy research organization that is nonpartisan, nonprofit, and statewide. It focuses on how policy decisions affect all West Virginians, including low- and moderate-income families, other vulnerable populations, and the important community programs that serve them. The Center provides accurate, transparent policy analysis and is a credible source of information on state fiscal issues. | Learn More

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Your Map to the State's Budget

West Virginia Map Your Map to the State's Budget provides citizens and policymakers with a roadmap of how our state invests it's resources and generates revenue, how our tax system is structured, how we compare to other states and a brief overview of the budget process. We hope this guide will help you navigate the fiscal decisions that shape your lives everyday and how to influence, or change, those decisions. Download Your Map to the State's Budget