The Affordable Care Act (ACA) included several provisions to help make health care more accessible and affordable for Americans. One provision is the Individual Marketplace, which allows people who are not eligible for health coverage through their employers, Medicaid, or Medicare to purchase health insurance, often with income-based subsidies that make the monthly premiums more…
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As more West Virginians became vaccinated and a strong federal response boosted the economy, the Mountain State, along with the nation, has enjoyed a strong economic recovery from the pandemic. However, while the state's employment rates have recovered, West Virginia has continued to lose population, contributing to its labor force challenges. In recent months, the…
With Tax Day approaching and West Virginians across the state filing their taxes, it's a good time to remember what our contributions pay for and why it is important that our tax system is fair, transparent, and provides adequate resources to fund the public services and investments that allow our communities to thrive. At the…
When it comes to tax policy during the 2022 West Virginia legislative session, what is most notable is arguably what didn't become law rather than what did, as once again a bill seeking to eliminate the state's personal income tax failed to pass. However, a number of other tax bills did make it through the…
West Virginia and the United States as a whole are outliers compared to the rest of the world regarding the provision and generosity of policies that support working families. Relative to our peer Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, we spend far less on child care and early education, which has adverse impacts…
Earlier this month, Governor Justice approved the budget passed by the West Virginia Legislature at the end of the 2022 legislative session. Very little in the budget was changed from the flat budget proposed by the governor at the beginning of the legislative session. While appropriations from the base budget (which includes the General Revenue…
The COVID-19 pandemic has now been ongoing for two years. Opioid overdose deaths are rising. Maternal and infant mortality rates are alarming. The number of children in the foster care system across our state continues to outpace the rest of the nation. Despite these realities, the West Virginia Legislature did very little to pass proactive health-…
New Research Finds Opioid Overdose Deaths Decline with More Generous Unemployment Insurance Benefits
While life expectancy has steadily increased for Americans over the past century, these gains have slowed in recent decades — and even reversed course — in some populations due to the precipitous rise of opioid overdose deaths. This is of particular concern in West Virginia, the state hardest hit by the opioid epidemic and facing…
Earlier this month, the West Virginia Senate passed two bills that would drastically change the state's unemployment insurance system and will now be considered in the House of Delegates. SB 2 would reduce the number of weeks a worker can collect unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to as few as 12 weeks. SB 3 would…
West Virginia is one of very few states where revenue estimates are made by the governor alone. Official revenue estimates determine the total size of the state budget, and lawmakers cannot exceed the official estimates when funding state agencies and programs. Governor Justice’s administration seems to be exploiting that power by setting flat budgets year…