In 2017, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) launched a three-year pilot program that screened drug use among recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Otherwise known as WV WORKS, TANF provides cash assistance to low-income families and helps with child care, skills training, and job searching. HB 5582 makes…
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Overview The right to an equitable public education is codified in both federal and state law. Despite this, in reality, every student is not able to exercise that right equally in West Virginia. Black students face bias and discrimination that impact their experience, performance, and achievement in K-12 education and beyond. Every child deserves high-quality…
This week, the Senate Finance Committee approved SB 392, Governor Morrisey's proposed 10 percent personal income tax cut at a cost of $250 million in revenue annually, as well as their changes to the FY 2027 budget. Like the governor's budget, the Senate balances their budget by relying heavily on one-time surplus and supplemental funding,…
Amid looming budget gaps and Governor Morrisey's call for additional personal income tax cuts, tax cuts for the natural gas industry are moving through the West Virginia Legislature. SB 706 would cut the state's severance tax on natural gas from 5 percent to 3.25 percent for newly drilled wells. The reduced rate would be in…
Medicaid is an incredibly important program in West Virginia, providing health coverage to nearly 500,000 residents, supporting tens of thousands of health care jobs, and keeping the doors of hospitals and health care providers open all over the state. Major changes are coming to the program as a result of Congress’ passage of HR 1…
Last year, the WVCBP launched the first-ever online database of people who died in West Virginia jails and prisons. Because the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) does not publicly disclose when a person dies in their facilities, the WVCBP created The Quantez Burks Report, a list of people who died behind bars, updated monthly. The…
In January, Governor Morrisey unveiled his proposed FY 2027 budget, which is now in the hands of the West Virginia Legislature to review, amend, and pass. Newly proposed tax cuts–on top of previously enacted tax cuts–as well as continued growth in the Hope Scholarship are creating significant budget strains, leading to considerable budget gaps in…
After promises last legislative session that HB 2014, the so-called Power Generation and Consumption Act, would make West Virginia "the most attractive state in the country for data centers", lawmakers are back with a new package of tax incentives for data centers (along with manufacturers and other big corporations). HB 4013 would give major tax…
West Virginia’s Fatality and Mortality Review Team (FMRT) recently published their 2025 annual report, which offers the latest available data and insights into the causes of infant and maternal deaths in the state. These measures serve as two key indicators of overall health in the state. Infant Mortality in West Virginia Infant mortality measures the number…
In spite of the wide ranging challenges that West Virginia public schools are facing such as inadequate funding, an outdated funding formula, and the rapidly expanding Hope Scholarship voucher program, our public school system continues to educate and support the vast majority of children in our state. These ongoing challenges have led to waves of…