West Virginia MetroNews - Lawmakers who wanted more specifics before buying into another income tax cut said they finally heard enough detail to feel confident. Read the full article. Others questioned whether the reduced spending to balance out the tax cut will shortchange state programs meant to support childcare and child welfare. Gov. Jim Justice’s…
Economic Security
For Immediate Release: October 8, 2024 Contact: Sean O'Leary, (304)-400-8899 Charleston, WV – Each year the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy releases our annual State of Working West Virginia report, which examines the Mountain State’s economy through the lens of its workers—the people who power our state and economy. While each year’s report has a slightly different focus, one consistent…
Introduction This report is the 17th edition of the State of Working West Virginia, an annual series that examines West Virginia’s economy through the lens of its workers—the people who power our state and our economy. Previous editions have examined data on employment, income, racial disparities, job quality, and economic performance. While each year’s report…
Huntington Herald-Dispatch - September was Hunger Action Month at the Facing Hunger Foodbank, where staff received enough donations to provide more than 500,000 meals, according to Chief Development Officer Samantha Edwards. Read the full article. “It’s a really big month to bring more awareness to hunger, because we have a lot of people that we…
West Virginia Watch, Beckley Register-Herald - Earlier this month, Gov. Jim Justice announced that legislators have had sufficient time to reach a consensus on his proposal to slash the state’s personal income tax for the third time in 18 months. In reality, the first two rounds of tax cuts have not even been fully phased…
WOWK - On this week’s episode of Inside West Virginia Politics, we talk about a Greenbrier business summit, tax cuts and childcare, scams and veterans’ healthcare. Read the full article. In Segment One, we talk to Kaylin George of the WV Chamber of Commerce about the business summit held at the Greenbrier Resort. In Segment…
Public News Service - The number of West Virginia children living in poverty remains among the highest in the nation, and more children are living in households struggling with hunger, according to the latest federal data. Read the full article. The end of pandemic supports combined with rising inflation, rent, and the cost of living, are…
285,780 West Virginians lived in poverty in 2023, including nearly 70,000 children, according to the new estimates out today from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey. West Virginia's official poverty rate in 2023 was 16.7 percent, a decrease from 17.9 percent in 2022. West Virginia's poverty rate was 5.6 percentage points higher than…
Public News Service, MSN, WWNR Radio - West Virginia lawmakers will convene for a Special Session on Sept. 30, with the state's child care crisis, proposed income tax cuts and supplemental appropriations on the agenda. Read the full article. The Mountain State's spending on child care is much lower than neighboring states and has steadily declined over the past…
WOWK, WBOY, MSN - When it comes to state spending on childcare, West Virginia ranks at the bottom of the region. Read the full article. The critical need for daycare was the subject of two recent protests at the state capitol. The governor and legislature failed to pass any reforms during this year’s regular legislative…