West Virginians have something to learn from Alaskans. Several years ago, Jay Hammond, the Republican governor of Alaska from 1974-1982, wrote a memoir called "Diapering the Devil," about how Alaska turned its rich oil assets into an everlasting source of wealth by creating the Alaska Permanent Fund. During the 1970s, when Hammond was asked how…
Budget Beat
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Trump Administration finalized their public charge rule, which will allow immigration officials to deny green cards and citizenship to immigrants or would-be immigrants who are determined likely to receive even modest assistance from programs like SNAP and Medicaid at any point over their lifetimes. This…
This week, Governor Justice announced that he will form a Census Committee to help ensure that the state gets an accurate number during next year's count. The WVCBP and our coalition partners have publicly urged the governor to take this step and we applaud this move. Our message included the following statement from Kelly Allen,…
Last week, the WV Center on Budget and Policy held our fourth annual Summer Policy Institute, which gathered over 40 students from around the state to strengthen their policy knowledge and network with policy professionals. This year's SPI was held at West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia, with a theme of criminal justice…
At our 4th annual Summer Policy Institute this weekend at West Virginia State University, students will focus on criminal justice reform and developing policy recommendations to reduce incarceration rates and develop alternatives to incarceration. Check out these two events live on Facebook on Saturday, July 27: 9:00 - 10:15AM Panel: We Can Get There From…
Help West Virginia Get an Accurate Census Count The 2020 Census is just around the corner with a goal of counting every West Virginia resident. The Census determines how much political representation we get at the state and federal levels and how much federal investment comes to West Virginia for programs that fund highways, school…
Tim Keefe is a Navy veteran who lost his job after an injury. Due to SNAP's 20-hour rule, he lost his food-assistance benefits and was unable to eat. Hear his story in this two-minute video produced by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Seeing Past the False Promises of Tax Incentives Missouri and Kansas…
Governor Justice once again drew attention to a strong quarter of personal income growth for the state, with West Virginia having the highest 2019 Quarter 1 personal income growth in the country. But, as was the case the last time the governor highlighted this particular statistic, there is more to the story than one quarter's…
The West Virginia House of Delegates will go into a special session on Monday to take up an education omnibus bill passed by the Senate, a bill with many of the same provisions that the House defeated during the regular session. What has been missing from previous discussions of these policies is the connection between…
As West Virginia legislators reconvene soon to take up education reform, they should focus on ways to invest more in our schools and target more funding to schools in higher poverty districts instead of devising ways to redistribute public school money to private corporations. In 2017, West Virginia spent less per pupil on public education…