Public News Service - Critics say a bill passed by West Virginia lawmakers increases the bureaucratic red tape folks who rely on unemployment benefits have to navigate and could financially hurt families already struggling with the high cost of living and ongoing inflation. Read the full article. Kelly Allen, executive director with the West Virginia…
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West Virginia Watch, News from the States - With hours to spare on the last night of the West Virginia Legislature’s 60-day session, the House of Delegates approved an amended version of a Senate bill that changes the structure of the state’s unemployment benefit program. Read the full article. Delegates passed Senate Bill 841 with a…
Mountain State Spotlight, Times West Virginian, Fayette Tribune - As the House Finance Committee began discussing a quickly-drafted unemployment bill on Monday, it quickly became apparent that lawmakers were going to have lots of questions. Within minutes, the committee hit its first roadblock: How much are unemployment benefits? Read the full article. Questions continued over the course…
West Virginia Watch, News from the States - A bill that would cut the duration of unemployment benefits in the state is heading for a vote by the full West Virginia House of Delegates. Read the full article. After a 3.5 hour discussion Monday afternoon, the House finance committee voted 14 to 9 to advance Senate…
Ballotpedia News - The West Virginia Senate on February 23, 2024, passed Senate Bill 562, which aims to raise the age of able-bodied adults without dependents who must meet work requirements to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in the state. Read the full article. Current federal requirements mandate that able-bodied adults without dependents…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - The Senate passed a bill that would reduce overall unemployment benefits but increase initial benefits. Read the full article. Senate Bills 840 and 841 would have steeply cut unemployment benefits. Those bills were combined and amended to substantially reduce the change to the state’s unemployment benefits. The engrossed bill that passed the Senate shaves two weeks…
Overview During the 2024 legislative session, the West Virginia Senate introduced bills that would make major changes to the state’s unemployment insurance system, to the detriment of workers. These changes include dramatically reducing the number of weeks of unemployment benefits available to the state’s unemployed workers. SB 840, would tie the maximum weeks of eligibility…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - The Senate advanced two bills Monday that would lower unemployment benefits for out of work West Virginians. Read the full article. Currently people can receive 26 weeks of benefits, and a maximum weekly benefit of $624 if they lose their job through no fault of their own; meaning they were…
Mountain State Spotlight, Fayette Tribune - As senators began to consider a pair of bills that would cut West Virginia’s unemployment insurance benefits on Monday, Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, rose to voice his concerns. Read the full article. Within the past two weeks, two large manufacturers — Allegheny Wood Products and Cleveland-Cliffs — had announced plans to lay off hundreds of…
West Virginia Watch, News from the States - In 2017, Michelle Davis opened her Charleston home up as a foster parent — a decision she made after learning the state had the nation’s highest rate of children coming into foster care. And there was a shortage of homes for them. Read the full article. “We…