By supporting the sweeping reconciliation package passed this week, West Virginia’s Congress members have the shameful distinction of having voted for the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance in program history, despite representing a population and economy that benefits greatly from both programs. This is the most harmful legislation for the safety net and…
Budget Beat
The U.S. Senate is considering a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that would enact the deepest cuts in history to Medicaid and SNAP—programs that hundreds of thousands of West Virginians rely on for health care, food, and economic security. These cuts would disproportionately impact families, seniors, and children in our state, threatening access to health care,…
The U.S. Senate will soon consider a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that would enact the deepest cuts in history to Medicaid and SNAP—programs that hundreds of thousands of West Virginians rely on for health care, food, and economic security. These cuts would disproportionately impact families, seniors, and children in our state, threatening access to health…
We at the WVCBP are closely monitoring the evolving federal budget process and its potential impact on critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP. House leadership recently delayed key committee markups on the budget package, including in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. These markups are now expected next week, the week of May 12. That…
HB 2014, Governor Morrisey’s “Certified Microgrid Program” legislation, remains under consideration by the West Virginia Legislature. The bill would take local control from counties and municipalities to enforce their own ordinances while diverting millions in property tax dollars generated from High Imact Data Centers. Instead of staying in the community to fund schools, public safety, and other local public…
Recent proposals from the Trump Administration and Congress aim to cut federal education funding and dismantle the United States Department of Education, contributing to the rising trend of disinvestment from public education. Federal funds support critical programs in West Virginia like Title I, which serves low-income children, Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) funding to serve children with…
The WVCBP is excited to welcome Sarah Duncan to the team as our public education campaign coordinator! Sarah is a lifelong West Virginian who holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Arts in Education from Marshall University. Sarah has taught for over 10 years in the West…
We are currently in a mental health crisis both nationally and in West Virginia. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, youth across the country were experiencing mental health challenges, but during the pandemic there were steep increases in the number of youth experiencing anxiety and depression. The pandemic led to new stressors for youth, including school closures,…
West Virginia’s new governor, Patrick Morrisey, has called for a “backyard brawl” with our neighboring states to ensure West Virginia has the most competitive possible environment to attract people to our state. Up to this point, that has centered almost exclusively on cutting taxes and deregulation as a means of attracting people and businesses. While…
Overview According to the state constitution, West Virginians are guaranteed “a thorough and efficient system of free schools” provided by the Legislature. However, the ability of our state to fulfill this guarantee for the nearly 90 percent of school-aged children in West Virginia who attend public schools is currently threatened by a variety of challenges.…