For Immediate Release: March 31, 2021Contact: Renee Alves, 559-916-5939 Pittsburgh, PA – Today, March 31, President Biden came to Pittsburgh, PA, to deliver an address laying out his American Jobs Plan, a large-scale federal investment in American workers and infrastructure. ReImagine Appalachia, a broad coalition of organizations dedicated to bringing about a 21st century economy that works for all…
Economy
This week, the Senate Finance Committee took up HB 3300, the House's income tax cut plan, and made significant changes before quickly passing it out of committee. Unlike the House plan, which phased out the income tax over time with no revenue offsets, the Senate's plan is more similar to the governor's proposal, making a…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - The past year has been a difficult one for our state’s families, businesses and communities. West Virginians are resilient and hard-working, but we still need to work together to emerge from the pandemic. Read the full op-ed. That’s where government can be most helpful: meeting and solving big challenges together that no…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - The West Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill that would reduce the personal income tax each year until it is fully eliminated. The measure would equate to at least a $150 million annual loss in revenue and would ultimately cost the state more than $2 billion each year…
Parsons Advocate - Imagine what equal pay for equal work would look like. Last week, March 24th, was Equal Pay Day which recognizes the pay gap between working men and women. March 24th is the day into the year in which it takes women on average to earn what men did in 2020. This day is important. It…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Recently, the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy released “Saving Lives and Saving Money: The Case for Harm Reduction in Kanawha County.” Read the full op-ed. As its author, I uncovered available data on the fatality and nonfatality costs associated with the drug epidemic in Kanawha County. I don’t need to…
Mountain State Spotlight, Beckley Register-Herald - Jeff McKay, like many business owners in West Virginia, has had a tough time dealing with this pandemic. Read the full article. “I’m probably being too conservative by saying that,” said the owner of Huntington’s Summit Beer Station. Fortunately, with the vaccine rate improving, McKay says things are looking up…
West Virginia MetroNews - A House bill to cut the personal income tax by at least $150 million a year until it’s eliminated is on the edge of passage, while Gov. Jim Justice continues to sell a different plan to state and national audiences. Read the full article. House Bill 3300, anticipated to eliminate the income tax…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - A House of Delegates plan to phase out the state’s personal income tax, the state’s largest source of general revenue at about $2.1 billion a year, will be on passage stage in the House Friday. Read the full article. A counterpoint to Gov. Jim Justice’s proposal to initially cut income tax rates…
Hep Mag, POZ - West Virginia will receive $2.4 million in federal funding to help the state prevent and treat HIV, The Associated Press reports. The money arrives as an HIV outbreak among injection drug users shone a national spotlight on the state’s opioid epidemic and sparked debates about syringe exchanges and the economic burdens that result…