For Immediate Release: March 10, 2021Contact: Renee Alves, 559-916-5939 Charleston, WV - The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy applauds the passage of the American Rescue Plan. This legislation is the kind of action the country needs at this moment, when unemployed workers are still struggling to pay their bills, millions of families are…
Economic Security
Mountain State Spotlight, Beckley Register-Herald - Even though more families are struggling to get enough food as the pandemic continues, hunger-related bills aren’t among the measures rapidly moving through the West Virginia Legislative session. Read the full article. West Virginia was already one of the country’s hungriest states pre-pandemic. And the problem has only gotten worse…
West Virginia MetroNews - Gov. Jim Justice has repeated an idea of setting aside financial “surplus,” built on the strength of federal relief dollars, into a “bucket” while touting his income tax cut proposal that could leave a big hole in the state budget. Read the full article. Analysts say it’s doubtful West Virginia could…
For Immediate Release: February 27, 2021Contact: Jessie Ice, 304-322-0074 or Renee Alves, 559-916-5939 Charleston, WV - Last night’s passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of a comprehensive COVID relief bill is an important step forward. This legislation is the kind of action we need in this moment, when the economy is still weak and…
WOWK - More money is likely coming from Washington, DC to the states for COVID-19 relief. Most everyone agrees that additional vaccines and testing supplies are badly needed – there are disputes over things such as unemployment extensions, and whether the benefit should be 300 or 600 dollars per week. And critics say only a…
In 2017, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) launched a three-year pilot program that screened drug use among recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Otherwise known as WV WORKS, TANF provides cash assistance for low-income families and helps with child care, skills training, and job searching. As the pilot…
Introduction The health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have had profound consequences for West Virginia families and communities, and structural and longstanding health and poverty challenges have been magnified. Before the crisis, West Virginia had the fourth highest poverty rate in the country and among the worst health outcomes and indicators. This made…
Mountain State Spotlight, Times West Virginian - When Fairmont resident Nicole Turner found out that Gov. Jim Justice was still sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars of federal relief funds meant to help West Virginians who were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she didn’t know whether to cry or throw up. Read…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and exacerbated societal inequities. Read the full article. Black and Latino populations have suffered higher infection rates. People working low-income jobs are more likely to be considered essential — and therefore required to work in-person — while others have the luxury of working remotely. The…
The Ascent - Traditionally, the Child Tax Credit has been a bipartisan issue, with lawmakers on both sides aware of the impact such a credit would have on the lives of their constituents. Not so these days. Rather than pass the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), members of Congress and the Senate debated the issues…