Charleston Gazette-Mail - The West Virginia Senate passed two bills significantly altering the state’s unemployment system in a contested vote on Tuesday. Republican lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 3, which would place new requirements on job-seekers, on a party-line vote. Senate Bill 2, which would cut the state’s paid unemployment benefits from 26 to 12 weeks,…
Economy
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Huntington Herald Dispatch - The West Virginia House Finance Committee passed a personal income tax repeal phase-out bill in about three minutes Monday, but the legislation still faces an uphill fight. Read the full article. With no discussion or questions asked of counsel, committee members passed House Bill 4007, which first would implement…
WVNSTV - West Virginia lawmakers are considering bills that could drastically change unemployment benefits in the state. Read the full article. Supporters of the idea, say they’re just trying to get more people back to work. A lot of the unemployment concerns stem from the impact of COVID-19. Some businesses were hit hard in the…
West Virginia MetroNews - The state Senate is on the verge of passing two bills that would make major changes to the unemployment safety net in West Virginia. Read the full article. Senate President Craig Blair feels so strongly about the bills that he came down from his usual spot presiding over the chamber today…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - The state Senate is poised to slash unemployment benefits and tighten the process for people to prove they’re seeking work at a time when West Virginia’s unemployment rate is at a record low. Senate Bill 2 would cut the state’s paid unemployment benefits from 26 to 12 weeks, based on the current…
Since the state legislative session began last month, much attention has been focused on the high number of job openings in West Virginia. Two bills that are rapidly moving through the Senate (SB 2 and SB 3) would drastically cut unemployment insurance benefits for displaced workers in the name of “getting people back to work,”…
West Virginia MetroNews - After a lot of starts and stops, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed out a bill that would limit the period West Virginians are eligible for unemployment benefits. Read the full article. Today was the third day for the committee to consider the bill. Part of the complication was an amendment proposed…
WOWK TV - On this week’s episode of Inside West Virginia Politics, co-hosts Mark Curtis and Amanda Barren talk to people about infrastructure, Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement, the annual Budget Breakfast, and Girl Scout cookies. Watch the full segment. In Segment One, Mark Curtis sits down with Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) to talk about the $6 billion that is coming to West Virginia.…
Beckley Register-Herald - It is simply laughable that Gov. Jim Justice, at every turn, criticizes President Joe Biden and his administration for everything unrelated to the state of affairs in West Virginia – from “open borders” with Mexico to our nation’s exit from the war in Afghanistan – while taking full credit for an economic…
Earlier this month, Governor Justice released his FY 2023 budget proposal. Once again, the governor is proposing a relatively "flat" budget with few changes from the previous year. However, like with the FY 2022 budget, low revenue estimates and a lack of a six-year plan are complicating the budget picture, preventing investments in the state's…