The House Judiciary Committee is likely to take up a dangerous resolution – House Concurrent Resolution 36 - that calls for a constitutional convention of states to propose a balance budget amendment (BBA) to the U.S. Constitution. As I discussed earlier, there are no established ground rules for how this would transpire and it could…
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This afternoon the West Virginia Senate approved Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 10, a resolution calling for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution. Under Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution, upon application of two-thirds of the states, Congress must convene a convention to amend the Constitution. While the U.S. Constitution has been amended…
The Senate and the House have introduced bills (SB 312 & HB 4454) that aim to make it harder for low-income people in West Virginia to receive public assistance benefits (such as SNAP, TANF and Medicaid), while potentially draining millions from the state's economy and denying benefits to those in need. Dubbed the "Welfare Fraud…
The West Virginia Coal Association released a report this week on the supposed economic impact of its proposed severance tax cut for coal. The Coal Association is pushing a cut in the state severance tax on coal from its current rate of 5% to 2%. I've talked before about how that is a pretty terrible…
The West Virginia Senate votes today on a bill to drug test welfare recipients. SB 6 would create a three-year pilot project to drug test TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Last year, a similar bill stalled in the Senate Finance Committee, never making it to the floor.The bill's sponsor, Senator Ryan Ferns, describes the…
A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analyzes data about which businesses actually create jobs and where they create them. The conclusions from the analysis contain useful information for states, like West Virginia, looking to create jobs and grow their economy. While West Virginia recently underwent a significant tax reform, and is looking…
The West Virginia Legislature is poised to enact a so-called right-to-work (RTW) law this week. The House of Delegates is taking up an amended version of the "WV Workplace Freedom Act" this afternoon. The law would prohibit unions and employers from negotiating a contract that requires employees who benefit from union representation to pay for…
"Right to Work" Debated in Public HearingSo-called "Right to Work" legislation remains on the fast track having already passed the full Senate and the House Judiciary committee. It will likely be taken up by the full House on Monday.This week the House held a public hearing on the controversial bill. Here's more in the Charleston…
The West Virginia Coal Association announced it intends to push for a cut in the state's coal severance tax rate, from its current rate of 5% to 2%, as an attempt to jumpstart the state's ailing coal industry. This is the latest in a series of attempts to give coal a tax break under the…
So-Called "Right to Work" Bill is First of the 2016 Legislative SessionThe very first Senate Bill introduced this year would make West Virginia the next so-called "Right to Work" state. As they deliberate the legislation, West Virginia legislators are relying on a flawed analysis from WVU's College of Business and Economics according to a report…