Hampshire Review - It was a long summer for many of our Hampshire County students, with the return to school bringing some relief from the food insecurity affecting far too many of them. Read the full article.
Economic Security
West Virginia Watch - WorkForce West Virginia recently released data that shows the state’s labor force has been in a steady decline for the last 14 months. Read the full article. The Mountain State has lost more than 4,000 jobs and about 7,600 people from its workforce in the last year. The amount of people…
Mountain State Spotlight, Times West Virginian, Huntington Herald-Dispatch, Clay County Free Press - If you rely on Medicaid for your health care, or you know and love someone who does, you’ve almost certainly heard about the massive cuts Congress made to the program. Read the full article. A new law makes the biggest cuts to…
After years of flat budgets that fail to account for the cost of inflation on public services, West Virginia’s state spending on Medicaid, child care assistance, public education, and higher education have all declined. Meanwhile, other areas of the budget, namely spending on jails, prisons, and foster care, have increased dramatically. This is an expected…
WCHS - The Affordable Care Act changed the landscape of health insurance for Americans 15 years ago and since then, many Americans are still getting help when it comes to finding coverage. Read the full article. Almost 70,000 West Virginians utilize this as well, but West Virginia Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, said these numbers could…
West Virginia Watch, Times West Virginian - Tax credits that have made health insurance affordable for millions of Americans are set to expire at the end of the year, and West Virginia will feel the effects more than most states, a health policy expert said. Read the full article. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”…
This publication is part two of a two-part series outlining federal changes to the ACA Marketplace. Click here to read part one. Much of the attention around federal health care cuts has focused on the budget reconciliation law that all four members of West Virginia’s Congressional delegation supported, which we covered in part one of this blog series. In…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Doesn’t take a genius to know food coloring is bad. Or that West Virginia is one of the most unhealthy states. Doesn’t take a rocket scientists either to know our biggest challenge isn’t dye. Read the full op-ed. The new food dye bill is performative. To be metaphorical: West Virginia’s governor removes…
West Virginia Watch, News from the States - West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Tuesday he’s inclined to comply with a request from President Donald Trump’s administration to supply personal data for state residents who rely on a federal food assistance program. Read the full article. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has asked states to turn over…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - West Virginia receives more federal funding than it sends to D.C. in taxes. But recent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, and budget and rescission efforts, are hurting the state’s bottom line. Read the full article. Since January, West Virginia has lost at least 400 federal jobs and more than $330 million in…