Blog

November 6, 2017 by Sean O'Leary
Richest West Virginians Benefit Most from The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

The House of Representatives has formally introduced its tax reform bill, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bill, like the tax reform framework it is based on, heavily favors the wealthy. The bill includes some provisions that raise taxes and some that cut taxes, so the net effect for any particular family's federal tax bill depends…

Read More
November 5, 2017 by Sean O'Leary
GOP-Trump Tax Framework Is a Big Tax Cut for the Wealthy, Leaving Little for Everyone Else

The tax framework released last week by President Trump and Republican congressional leaders would result in huge tax cuts for the wealthiest households, while offering little to middle- and lower-income families. In West Virginia, the richest one percent of residents would receive 39.1 percent of the tax cuts within the state under the framework in 2018, according to…

Read More
November 3, 2017 by Sean O'Leary
What is West Virginia’s Economic Outlook?

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University released their annual Economic Outlook Report for the state earlier this month. According to the report’s forecast, West Virginia is expected to experience modest job growth, with employment forecasted to grow at an average rate of 0.7 percent per year for the next five years.  That’s…

Read More
October 13, 2017 by Sean O'Leary
What is West Virginia’s Economic Outlook?

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University released their annual Economic Outlook Report for the state earlier this month. According to the report's forecast, West Virginia is expected to experience modest job growth, with employment forecasted to grow at an average rate of 0.7 percent per year for the next five…

Read More
September 15, 2017 by Sean O'Leary
Cassidy-Graham is the Latest Attempt to Take Away Healthcare Coverage from Thousands of West Virginians

The latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Cassidy-Graham bill, would cut West Virginia's funding for Medicaid by $2.0 billion by 2027. This would undermine health coverage for tens of thousands of West Virginian's and threaten the state's historic gains in health coverage stemming from the Affordable Care Act. The Cassidy-Graham bill cuts…

Read More
July 23, 2017 by Ted Boettner
Senate Health Bill (BCRA) Would Hit West Virginia Hardest

While it is unclear what version of the legislation the U.S. Senate will plan to take up on Tuesday (7/25) when they vote to proceed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the revised version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) would be particularly harmful to West Virginians. An updated report from the…

Read More
July 7, 2017 by Seth DiStefano
SNAP Helps Over 81,000 West Virginia Workers

SNAP plays a crucial role helping workers in low-paying jobs afford a basic diet in West Virginia. Each year between 2013 and 2015, an average of 81,000 West Virginia workers lived in households that participated in SNAP within the last year, according to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. For many of…

Read More
July 5, 2017 by Ted Boettner
Yes, State Government and Taxes Are Shrinking

When lawmakers passed a "bare-bones" state budget, some lawmakers  expressed that the state government needs to "live within its means" because of our "shrinking population and tax base." Other lawmakers have suggested that our state budget is too big and that we will need to "continue making cuts to programs and services" and that we should…

Read More
June 30, 2017 by Sean O'Leary
Senate Health Care Bill Cuts Medicaid to Pay for Tax Cuts for the Rich – UPDATED

The Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), the latest Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was introduced in the U.S. Senate on June 22, 2017, and is awaiting a vote. In its current form, the bill would eliminate most of the provisions of the ACA, including its tax provisions, and drastically cut…

Read More
June 23, 2017 by Ted Boettner
A Short History of the 2017 Budget Crisis in West Virginia (So Far)

This week, Governor Justice said he would let the state budget become law instead of signing it because the budget contained so many cuts ( a "travesty") and that his proposed tax plans failed to become law. Governor Justice mostly blamed Democrats and Republicans in the House of Delegates, along with the Senate Democrats, for…

Read More