Earlier this week, a bill began movingΒ to increase revenue for the State Road Fund. Senate Bill 555Β Β includes a number of provisions, some included in the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission report, that raise revenue for road work in West Virginia. The bill is on 3rd reading today.In its original form, SB 555 increased the gas tax…
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Poor oral health is widespread in West Virginia. It significantly affects the employability of our workforce, contributes to higher emergency room utilization, and is often both an indicator of and a contributor to other chronic health conditions. According to a 2014 report, only 40 percent of West Virginians have dental insurance.[1] While Medicaid expansion has…
Center Square - West Virginia will finish the year with $1.8 billion more in tax and fee collections than budgeted, something Gov. Jim Justice called a record for a second straight year. Read the full article. But the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy says that is because Justice gamed the system with budget…
WOWK - West Virginia University is dealing with a serious budget short fall, but right now there is no agreement on how to fix it. There is plenty of finger-pointing going on, and that means a solution is not on the table right now. Read the full article. As West Virginia University gears up for…
The State Journal -- A conversion to the "effective" rate puts Ohio's at about 0.37 percent of value over the past decade, according to Policy Matters Ohio, while West Virginia's 5 percent severance tax on oil and gas and on coal together came to about 3.2 percent of value in 2007, according to the West…
WVNS - In small towns across America, high school games draw folks out to stadiums and bring communities together, all in a show of team spirit. Read the full article. βBeing an athlete on a team, you have to go through some pretty rigorous practices and other issues to be a part of that team,…
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Transport Topics - Legislation to increase highways funding by more than $290 million a year β primarily through increasing the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent β is headed to a West Virginia House of Delegates that has proven adverse to tax hikes. ReadHowever, Mike Clowser, of the state Contractors…
Today the Governor officially ordered Workforce WV to begin drug testing those enrolled in job training programs (see below press release). What was not mentioned was that these programs are completely funded by federal dollars and that they mostly go to the "disadvantaged and at-risk youth, adults, and dislocated workers." However, the big question is…
Two weeks ago, the House Industry and Labor committee passed out HB 4104 that would make it easier for employers to classify workers as independent contractors when it comes to Unemployment Insurance and Workers Compensation eligibility. A similar bill passed the House last year, but died in the Senate. The determination of whether a worker…
In 2012, SB 532/HB 4387 was introduced requiring all West Virginia voters to present official government-issued photo identification in order to vote. The Voter ID law was reintroduced for the 2013 legislative session (SB 13/HB 2215). Based on national data and the experiences of other states, it is estimated that the implementation costs of a…