Picture this: there is a federal program that is able to help with transitioning drug offenders back into society when they are released from prison. It provides up to around $200 per month (non-cash) only to be used to meet necessary food expenses for the offender and their family. It is paid for with federal dollars and would have little to no added administrative cost because it’s already in place through existing West Virginia programs. Would you be interested?

Governor Jim Justice’s FY 2020 budget includes new spending initiatives and pay raises while avoiding spending cuts as the state’s financial situation shows signs of stability. While the FY 2020 budget is an improvement after years of budget cuts, it represents a missed opportunity to reverse the damage of past mistakes and invest in a future shared prosperity.

The nearly six-fold increase in West Virginia’s natural gas production in the last decade, due largely to shale development, or fracking, has fallen short of expectations for economic growth, job creation, and tax revenue generation, according to a new report released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.

West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the nation, and West Virginians face some of the highest rates of illness and disability. The number of uninsured West Virginians has plummeted since the state’s expansion of Medicaid in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Today, almost a third of West Virginians are covered by Medicaid, with most of the cost paid by the federal government.