Yesterday a Republican-proposed COVID relief package failed to pass the U.S. Senate. While West Virginia's communities desperately need additional relief, the provisions included in this legislation were far too meager to meet the immediate and ongoing needs of our state and people. WVCBP interim executive director stated in a press release yesterday: "Today's COVID proposal,…
Budget Beat
More than five months after the declaration of a national emergency due to COVID-19, legitimate concern is growing that the burden placed on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to comply with the excessive paperwork needed to maintain their food assistance benefits could be heightening food insecurity in West Virginia. Last spring, West Virginia applied…
Last month, Congress allowed the CARES Act's $600 boost to weekly unemployment benefits to expire. It was replaced with a temporary and inadequate executive order providing funding for enhanced benefits that West Virginia has applied for but has yet to receive. And now, another unemployment provision of the CARES Act is about to run out for thousands of West Virginians: the…
As state and local officials finalize plans for children to resume learning in the coming days, a major concern for families is how parents are supposed to balance changes to the traditional school format with their work obligations. Federal COVID-relief packages passed earlier this year provide a bit of help for some families, but the…
In executive orders issued on Saturday, August 8th, the President announced plans to address the eviction crisis, expired unemployment insurance benefits, student loan relief, and a payroll tax cut. President Trump's executive actions are far too meager, ineffective, and legally dubious to address the crisis that families in West Virginia and across the nation are…
This week, Governor Justice held a press conference to provide an update on the state's fiscal situation at the start of the 2021 fiscal year (FY) and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the governor, West Virginia is starting FY 2021 with a $243.9 million surplus, and ended FY 2020 with a $23 million…
This Monday, August 3, join national expert Professor Alex Vitale and state and local leaders for an in-depth discussion on redefining policing and public safety in West Virginia. Professor Vitale will give a presentation about the research and analysis in his book The End of Policing which he summarizes this way: "I would say that we over-rely…
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt strongly in West Virginia. In just a matter of weeks, the state lost 92,000 jobs and the unemployment rate spiked to 15.9 percent. As West Virginia has begun to reopen, some jobs have returned, but the unemployment rate remains above 10.0 percent, more than double its pre-pandemic…
Since the end of March, when unemployed West Virginians began receiving Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC) payments - the $600 per week enhancement to unemployment benefits that were part of the CARES Act - West Virginia has received at least $753 million through the federally funded program. However, that aid is set to expire at the…
Last month, Governor Justice unveiled his plan for using the $1.25 billion in CARES Act funding that West Virginia received to help the state respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Treasury Department guidance forbids states from using the funds to offset revenue losses due to the pandemic, limiting what states can do with the funding. This is unfortunate, as West…