Budget Beat

Budget Beat - July 26, 2013 Evidence Counts - SNAP Benefits Important to West Virginia The House of Representatives has passed a Farm Bill without SNAP (food stamp) benefits. If this bill becomes law it will affect low-income families in West Virginia who relies on the benefits to help them make ends meet. One in…

Budget Beat - July 12, 2013 What Do Immigration and Health Care Reform Mean to West Virginia? The fall-out from the Obama administration's decision to delay the employer mandate continued in the media this week. Brandon's blog post pointed out that those saying the delays are a sign the ACA is seriously flawed are the…

Budget Beat - July 5, 2013 Evidence Counts - ObamaRomneyCare, Student Debt, and Inefficient Tax Cuts The Obama Administration this week decided to delay the mandate in the Affordable Care Act which would require employers to provide health care for their employees or face penalties. Since this affects only those companies with 50 or more…

Unemployment rates in West Virginia's counties range from 5% to 12%. What is the unemployment rate in your county? Find out in this interactive graph in Sean's blog post this week. This week the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner released its report on how the insurance exchange, created as part of the Affordable…

Budget Beat for June 21, 2013 Evidence Counts - the WVCBP blog On July 1, interest rates on Stafford student loans are set to double, making higher education even less affordable for West Virginia students and their families. The average college debt for West Virginia students has climbed by $10,000 since 2004 to over $25,000,…

So, the pepperoni roll was recently voted America's favorite food in the "Taste of America" contest and West Virginia has some of the best to offer. Here are some other things about West Virginia we thought you might like to know: This week the Equal Pay Act turned 50. While some women are now earning…

Budget Beat for June 7, 2013 Evidence Counts - the WVCBP blog Income inequality and the decline of the middle class were the subject of Ted's blog post this week. To see the direction West Virginia has gone, look no further than the state's top employer, once Weirton Steel, now Wal-Mart. With the shift in…

As the date rolls closer for the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act and in the same week that the U.S. House of Representatives voted for the thirty-odd time to repeal the law, the Wheeling Intelligencer reported on a doctor forced to close his doors due to Obamacare. The reason given is that the…

Budget Beat for May 17, 2013 Evidence Counts - the WVCBP blog Cuts to the FY 2014 state budget are beginning to take their toll as the state's colleges and universities react by taxing college goers with an increase in tuition. With state aid decreasing and tuition costs increasing, students and their families are taking…

Budget Beat - May 10, 2013 Evidence Counts - the WVCBP blog Watch where you get sick. Costs for medical procedures in West Virginia can vary wildly from hospital to hospital, costing thousands of dollars more depending on which hospital is performing them. Read more in Ted's blog post. The power of West Virginia's governor…