More and more West Virginians have health insurance, thanks to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion. According the U.S. Census Bureau, 108,000 West Virginians lacked health insurance in 2015, a decrease of 48,000 from 2014. With 94.0 percent of West Virginians now having health insurance, the state's uninsured rate in 2015 was 6.0 percent,…
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It took a special session but lawmakers successfully balanced this year's budget as the clock was running out. A mixture of Rainy Day funds, budget cuts, and an increase in the tobacco tax filled the gap. They did not, however, provide a long-term solution and West Virginia will face a similar situation next year. How…
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has proposed rules that, if strengthened, could rein in the worst abuses of payday and car title lending. Thankfully, West Virginia protects against abusive payday and car title loans, but the CFPB still needs to hear from you. Add your voice now to stop the debt trap! Payday loans…
Families who struggle to pay for expenses put most of their money right back into the economy when they buy necessities. A West Virginia Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) would give these families an additional boost at tax time and generate millions of dollars in local West Virginia communities. This week the Charleston Gazette editorial…
Decriminalizing marijuana could save West Virginia millions of dollars in its corrections budget and legalizing medical marijuana could provide an alternative to highly addictive opioid painkillers. These are among the findings of Modernizing West Virginia's Marijuana Laws: Potential Benefits of Decriminalization, Medical Marijuana and Legalization, a report released yesterday and written by Tara Holmes, WVCBP…
Lunch and Learn About the Benefits of a Soda Tax This Wednesday, August 17How could a soda tax improve our physical and fiscal health in West Virginia?Numerous studies have linked the excessive consumption of soda to the nation's epidemic of obesity, diabetes and other diseases. A soda tax could reduce consumption and positively impact public…
Join Us for the First Evening of the 2016 Summer Policy InstituteThe Inaugural 2016 Summer Policy Institute (SPI) will be held July 29-31, 2016 at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon.Students from across West Virginia will be a part of this first-ever event.The first evening of 2016 Summer Policy Institute is free and open to…
At this week's Lunch and Learn, Tara Holmes, our Summer Research Associate, presented the potential benefits to West Virginia if marijuana were to be legalized for medicinal and recreational use in the state. Her research shows that legalizing marijuana for recreational use would bring in between $26 and $45 million a year in tax revenue…
FY 2016 officially came to an end on June 30th, bringing to a close one of the most difficult budget years the state has faced in years. The final revenue report for the fiscal year showed revenue totaling $4.10 billion for the fiscal year, $203 million below the estimate. However, that number was inflated by…
Lunch and Learn - This WednesdaySeveral states will vote this November on whether or not to legalize marijuana. If West Virginia passed such a measure, what would it mean for the state's budget? Find out on Wednesday at our next Lunch and Learn on July 13 from 11:30AM - 1:00PM at the West Virginia Covenant…