Blog

March 2, 2015 by Ted Boettner
Let’s Not Go Backwards on Paying Social Workers

Last week, the State Senate passed a bill (SB 559) that would except DHHR social workers from the requirement to be licensed by the West Virginia Board of Social Work. According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, this bill aims to get more people to apply for positions within Child Protective…

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February 12, 2015 by Sean O'Leary
Drug Testing Welfare Recipients – Wasteful and Unnecessary

West Virginia's legislature is moving forward with a costly and ineffective bill targeted at only the poorest West Virginians. The bill, SB 348, would create a three-county pilot program to begin drug testing recipients of cash assistance (a.k.a. WV Works/ TANF). The costs of the drug screening would be deducted from the TANF recipients' monthly check…

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January 28, 2015 by Ted Boettner
West Virginia is Risking the Future of the U.S. Constitution (Updated)

by Betty Rivard and Ted Boettner West Virginia has been targeted by a number of conservative groups to adopt a resolution calling on Congress to convene a constitutional convention of the states, with the goal of adopting a balanced budget amendment (BBA). Opponents from across the full political spectrum are alarmed that a convention of…

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January 22, 2015 by Ted Boettner
How is West Virginia Balancing its FY 2016 Budget?

On Tuesday, Governor Tomblin announced at a bi-partisan press conference that he is proposing to transfer $44 million from the teacher's retirement account (TERS) to help close an estimated $195 million gap in the FY 2016 state budget.The state is able to use the $44 million from TERS, according to the governor, because the investment returns…

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January 8, 2015 by WVCBP
Want to Help Stop Flu Outbreak? Let More Workers Have Paid Sick Time

Just a month into peak flu season, the CDC has already declared a national epidemic due to the flu's widespread activity and the deadly nature of this year's virus. West Virginia is no exception. The outbreak is considered widespread across our state, as you can see from the the map below. While preventing the spread of the…

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January 6, 2015 by Sean O'Leary
Apples to Oranges: Comparing Prevailing Wage Rates

Earlier, I showed how it's nearly impossible for the prevailing wage to add 25% to the cost of public construction projects, like opponents to the law claim, even if you assume that the prevailing wage is nearly 50% higher than average wages in the construction sector. But let's take a closer look at that 50% claim.…

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December 31, 2014 by Ted Boettner
Corporate Tax Cuts Haven’t Brought Prosperity to West Virginia

Yesterday,  Governor Tomblin announced that the business franchise tax will be fully eliminated beginning tomorrow (Jan 1). While the governor says the elimination of the business franchise tax and the reduction in the corporate net income tax has helped to "secure additional investments" and that the state has benefited from these changes, there is no…

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December 29, 2014 by Sean O'Leary
Savings From Reforming Prevailing Wage Laws Might Be A Tad Overstated

As Ted pointed out after the election, changes to West Virginia's prevailing wage law are likely going to be one of the priorities of the legislature's new Republican majority. New Senate President Bill Cole was a lead sponsor of a bill to repeal the state's prevailing wage law, and the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is…

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December 16, 2014 by Ted Boettner
Is it a Good Time to Reduce Male Wages in West Virginia?

As the legislature considers repealing the state's prevailing wage for public construction projects, it is important to recognize that it could further depress wages. This is especially true for male workers, who typically hold over 90 percent of construction jobs. Since the late 1970s, male hourly wages have declined by more than $3 in West…

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November 19, 2014 by Ted Boettner
7 Things You Need to Know About Why Coal is Declining in West Virginia (4 of 7)

In the last post, we looked at how West Virginia - especially southern West Virginia -  is being out-competed by other coal regions because of the decline in coal mining productivity that makes it cheaper to produce coal in places like Illinois and Wyoming. Not only do West Virginia coal producers face stiff competition from…

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