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…
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Wheeling Intelligencer, News Register - The U.S. Tax Foundation ranks West Virginia 18th in its State Business Tax Climate Index. Read.
After hearing from the coal industry about their desire for cut in the severance tax, SB 705 was quickly introduced and sped through the Senate Finance Committee on Monday, and is already on 2nd reading in the Senate today. In its current form, the bill cuts the severance tax on coal from 5% to 4%…
For Immediate Release Contact: Sean O'Leary or Ted Boettner, 304-720-8682 (Charleston, WV) – One of the most complicated pieces of legislation is also one of the most important: the state budget. The state budget directly affects everyone living in West Virginia. It consists of thousands of decisions about our shared responsibility to maintain and improve…
The state budget directly affects everyone living in West Virginia. It is the one law that makes state government function. It defines how we plan to use our resources to do the things together that cannot be done alone, such as creating good schools for our children, protecting the environment, making our communities safe, making…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - A Citizens Guide to Climate Change, a 16-page report on the impending climate crisis and summaries of potential solutions proposed to counter it, has been released by the newly formed West Virginia Climate Alliance. "This guide is the beginning of a dialog with West Virginians," said Charleston's Perry Bryant, a member of…
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…
Just in time for the legislative session! Download here or email info@wvpolicy.org to request a free copy.
This handbook provides recommendations to county and local governments, human and social services, police and emergency services, and other local officials dealing with unconventional gas drilling. These recommendations are based on previous research conducted by the Multi-State Shale Research Collaborative (MSSRC) to document the human and social service impacts of increased drilling. Read PDF of report. The MSSRC…
by Betty Rivard and Ted Boettner West Virginia has been targeted by a number of conservative groups to adopt a resolution calling on Congress to convene a constitutional convention of the states, with the goal of adopting a balanced budget amendment (BBA). Opponents from across the full political spectrum are alarmed that a convention of…