"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love." -Albert Einstein House of Delegates Passes Minimum Wage Hike This week the House of Delegates passed legislation to increase the state's minimum wage to $8.75 an hour from $7.25 an hour. The increase will be phased in with the full amount taking effect on January 1,…
Budget Beat
Kids and Families Take Over the Capitol What a great week at the Capitol! On Tuesday, the WVCBP joined hundreds of kids and families to support the Our Kids Our Future platform which includes raising the minimum wage, creating a Future Fund and promoting physical activity in school. The momentum continues and if you couldn't…
Kids and Families Day at the Capitol - February 4 Next Tuesday, February 4, hundreds of children and families will come together for Kids and Families Day in at the state Capitol, a part of the Our Children Our Future Campaign. Join us for a day of reminding legislators the importance issues that affect working…
Free Movie Tonight/Budget Breakfast Presentation Online Tonight - Free Movie! Join us tonight at the Culture Center for a screening of "Inequality for All" from 5:30-7:00PM. A discussion and reception will follow. Learn more about what you can do to fight income inequality in West Virginia! Congratulations, Renate! Today in Washington, DC, WVCBP Chair Renate…
Join Us At Next Week's Budget Breakfast The 2014 Budget Breakfast is just a few days away. Join us on January 22 as we discuss the governor's proposed budget and how we can educate and activate state legislators on how any proposed cuts could impact important programs in the Mountain State. Tickets are $20 and…
Budget Breakfast - January 22, 2014 The legislative session is just around the corner and that means it's almost time for Governor Tomblin to release his proposed budget. Will there be more budget cuts this year? What programs will bear the brunt? Don't we need to invest more in education if we want to create…
Thank You for Voting! Future Fund and Higher Minimum Wage Make the Top Five This week many of you voted on the issues you want the Our Children Our Future campaign to focus on during the 2014 Legislative Session. Two of the WVCBP's major initiatives, Increasing the Minimum Wage and Creating a Future Fund, made…
Much of West Virginia Remains Owned by Out-of-State Corporations This week the WV Center on Budget and Policy and the American Friends Service Committee revisited a 1970s study looking at who owns West Virginia's private land. While large out-of-state corporations still own much of the state's land, timber interests, not coal companies, are now the…
Marcellus Job Numbers Are Overestimated According to New Report A new five-state collaborative was announced this week that will study the local impacts of gas drilling in the Marcellus and Utica formations. The group, of which the WVCBP is a member, released its first report and launched its website this week. Exaggerating the Employment Impacts…
Fiscal Notes Lacking in Accuracy, Not a Reliable Tool for State Legislators Fiscal notes are intended to give legislators information on the financial impact of a particular bill and how much a new law will cost (or benefit) the state. They are the price tags attached to legislation. But do legislators rely on fiscal notes?…