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…
Search Results
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…
Daily Athenaeum - The Biden Administration launched a beta version of its student loan relief program late Friday night, allowing borrowers to submit applications before the website is officially launched later this month. Read the full article. Thousands of students at West Virginia University could see some level of loan forgiveness as part of the federal…
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…
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…
Governor Justice recently announced a special session to be held at the end of September to override tax cut triggers enacted as part of the 2023 tax law and slash taxes by an additional $114 million. As we highlighted recently, the proposal ignores realities and defies fiscal responsibility. While policymakers are still learning the full impact…
People-Powered Policy July 26-28, 2024 at Marshall University Summer Policy Institute 2024 is almost here! SPI is a convening focused on policy, where participants will learn the ins and outs of policy change through a research and data lens, as well as crucial skills rooted in community engagement and grassroots mobilization. Policy sessions will equip…
Today's news that Shell Oil Company has chosen a site in Pennsylvania as the location for their new cracker facility comes after months of competition between PA, WV, and OH over which state would land the cracker, with each state offering a variety of incentives. (A "cracker facility" converts ethane from natural gas liquids into more profitable chemicals…
All SPI sessions unless otherwise noted will take place over the Zoom video conferencing platform. Prior to the SPI Conference please make a free Zoom account at Zoom.us, and if possible, download the Zoom app for whatever device you’re planning on using to access the meeting. If you are unable to download the app, a…