Economic Security

July 17, 2025 by Kelly Allen
Proposed 93% Federal Budget Cut Would Impact W.Va. Economic Success

Times West Virginian, Beckley Register-Herald, Yahoo News - President Donald Trump seeks a 93% funding cut to a quasi-federal government agency responsible for promoting economic development and community building in Appalachia. Read the full article. West Virginia is the sole state that falls entirely within the geographical region served by the Appalachian Regional Commission. “ARC…

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July 15, 2025 by Kelly Allen, Sean O'Leary
Five Ways HB 2014 Harms Communities, Local Governments, and Schools

This fact sheet was co-authored by Kelly Allen (WVCBP), Sean O'Leary (WVCBP), and Robert Bastress (John W. Fisher II Professor of Law Emeritus, West Virginia University College of Law) Overview During the 2025 West Virginia state legislative session, lawmakers passed HB 2014, the Certified Microgrid Program. While proponents focused on how the legislation would permit…

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July 14, 2025 by Kelly Allen
Tackling Bad Behavior in Classrooms on Inside West Virginia Politics

WOWK - On this week’s episode of Inside West Virginia Politics, our guests join Rick Johnson to discuss an ACLU lawsuit, Texas flooding, the Public Employees Insurance Agency and bad behavior in classrooms. Read the full article. In Segment 1, we talk to ACLU WV Director of Communications Billy Wolfe about the lawsuit against the…

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July 12, 2025 by Sean O'Leary
These are America’s 10 Weakest State Economies Most at Risk in a Recession

CNBC - The odds of a recession may be falling, but states appear to be betting that corporate leaders are still nervous. Read the full article. An analysis of all 50 states’ economic development marketing efforts — part of CNBC’s annual America’s Top States for Business study — finds that a strong economy is the most frequently…

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July 11, 2025 by WVCBP
One Big, Bad Deal for West Virginia

West Virginia Watch - If you were listening earlier this year as the governor and legislature pushed through legislation to incentivize data centers and microgrids in West Virginia, you would have heard a lot about China. Lawmakers said we are in an artificial intelligence race with China, and West Virginia is primed to be a spot to…

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July 10, 2025 by Tamaya Browder
As Hope Scholarship Enrollment Grows, Public Education Concerns Loom

Charleston Gazette-Mail, Huntington Herald-Dispatch - About 15,000 students applied for the Hope Scholarship and will receive full funding for the 2025-26 school year. Read the full article. Of that total, more than 1,700 are from Kanawha County. According to a news release from West Virginia Treasurer Larry Pack’s office, this is more than 4,000 more…

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July 7, 2025 by Kelly Allen
Moore Says Future Bills Will Cut into Rate of Debt Growth

West Virginia MetroNews - West Virginia Second District Congressman Riley Moore says there will be additional reconciliation bills that will build off of the One Big Beautiful Bill that was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4. Read the full article. Moore, who supported the bill from the start, said the new…

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July 1, 2025 by WVCBP
WVCBP’s Statement on Senators Capito and Justice’s Votes for Largest Medicaid and SNAP Cuts in History

For Immediate Release: July 1, 2025 Contact: Renee Alves, (559)-916-5939 Charleston, WV— Today, the U.S. Senate passed a sweeping reconciliation package that contains historically large cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, two programs that disproportionately benefit the Mountain State. This legislation generates deep harm for the most vulnerable Americans to fund tax cuts for our nation’s wealthiest. The…

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June 27, 2025 by Sean O'Leary
Two Local Hospitals Could Close Under ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, Study Says

WVVA - A recent study lists two local hospitals as being in danger of closure if a hotly debated federal spending bill passes. Read the full article. In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a reconciliation package also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Researchers say if passed, this bill would cut funding for…

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