After four years of flat budgets failing to keep pace with inflation and the needs of West Virginians, Governor Jim Justice announced another year of largely the same during his annual State of the State Address which took place Wednesday evening. Instead of presenting a budget that meets the needs of all West Virginians, Governor…
Budget Beat
Governor Justice has once again touted the state’s so-called “surplus” as reason to pursue more tax cuts favoring the wealthy. But make no mistake, the state’s surplus isn’t a sign of uncharacteristically strong revenue growth, or a sign that the state’s needs are all being met. Instead, the surplus has been largely manufactured by artificially low revenue estimates,…
The WVCBP covered a wide range of topics this year, from tax and budget policy, to health care policy, to criminal legal reform policy, and more. With 2023 just around the corner, we wanted to share the list of our most read publications from 2022. Here's your WVCBP Wrapped: 1. Five Ways to Use West Virginia’s…
Prior to the pandemic, West Virginia experienced a lost decade, with essentially no economic growth from 2009 to 2019. This happened despite years of so-called business friendly policies like tax cuts, right to work, repeal of the prevailing wage, and reductions in state spending that were promised to unleash growth and move West Virginia forward.…
In West Virginia, people convicted of felony offenses are not eligible to vote until after they have completed their sentence or parole supervision. As a result of this policy, one out of every 100 West Virginians is disenfranchised. This second-class citizenship disproportionately impacts Black West Virginians, who are more than three times as likely as the general population to be ineligible…
West Virginia is experiencing an imprisonment crisis, with an incarceration rate higher than that of any country in the world. Thousands of West Virginians are released from prison every year, and these returning citizens face hundreds of collateral consequences — that is, punishments that last even after they have finished their sentence and that get…
Early voting is underway in West Virginia, and if passed, Amendment 2 could undermine funding and services that voters have already chosen to prioritize via the passage of excess levies and bonds in their communities. If the tax exemptions in Amendment 2 are enacted, local governments statewide could see an estimated $205 million in revenue from excess…
It’s almost Halloween, and there is nothing more terror-inducing than ill-advised tax cuts and the loss of local control. So turn out all the lights, hide under a blanket, and get ready to have your bones rattle as you read these four ghoulish charts about Amendment 2. If passed, Amendment 2 would amend the constitution to give…
When economic times get tough and state revenues decline in West Virginia, higher education funding is often the first thing to be cut in the state budget. This is counterintuitive for a state looking to grow and diversify its economy. Investments in higher education lower tuition costs for students, reduce student debt origination, lead to more collegiate and post-collegiate…
Amendment 2, or the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, will be on the ballot this November for West Virginia voters to consider. If passed, it would amend the constitution to give the state legislature the authority to exempt business machinery and equipment, business inventory, and personal vehicles from property taxation. As such, passage of the amendment…