Housing insecurity has been a particularly insidious aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent recession as households’ collective ability to contain the illness relies on their ability to isolate themselves at home. There are several additional factors to consider here, but at its core, the question remains: if you are facing eviction or foreclosure, where…
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During last month's legislative interim session, the Joint Standing Committee on Finance heard a presentation from John Deskins of the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research regarding the elimination of the property tax on business machinery, equipment, and inventory, which will be the topic of a constitutional amendment on the ballot this…
With temporary federal funding to help families afford child care ending soon, US Senators Patty Murray and Tim Kaine have proposed an increase in child care funding for all states that would give West Virginia an additional $77 million annually, allowing it to serve some 4,200 more children and build on pandemic-initiated improvements to our…
West Virginia's tax revenue collections made a fast turnaround after the initial decline in the early months of the pandemic recession. General Revenue collections fell from $4.756 billion in FY 2019 to $4.49 billion in FY 2020, before bouncing back to $4.988 billion in FY 2021. But while the state largely recouped its pandemic revenue…
People across the state cast ballots this week in West Virginia's Primary Election, choosing the candidates who will run in the General Election this fall. Beyond helping select our next federal, state, and local representatives, West Virginians also voted on renewing or enacting property tax levies. These levies provide critical revenue for local services in…
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…
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…