Income and Work

December 15, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
The Case Against Austerity: Why Protecting Investments in West Virginia Families and Communities is Key to COVID-19 Recovery

Introduction With West Virginia still feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic recession, the state’s leaders face difficult choices in the upcoming legislative session. The choices legislators make will help determine whether or not West Virginia will have a swift and equitable recovery with an economy that works for everyone. Read the full issue brief.…

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December 3, 2020 by Rhonda Rogombe
Major CARES Act Provisions Will Expire at the End of the Year Without Action from Congress

In March, the federal government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which established several programs that have since proved critical for stabilizing the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act's remaining provisions will expire on December 31, leaving Americans anxiously awaiting Congress's next economic relief package. But with no precise…

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November 24, 2020 by Seth DiStefano
West Virginia Weighs-In on More COVID-19 Aid from Congress

WOWKTV - There could be more COVID-19 aid coming from Washington, DC. When Congress convenes the week after Thanksgiving, there will be formal proposals from both parties, which have been far apart, on another round of stimulus. Watch the news segment here.

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November 20, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
Ohio Valley Economic Outlook Grim As COVID Aid Programs End

Ohio Valley Resource, West Virginia Public Broadcasting - With hundreds of thousands across the Ohio Valley struggling to make ends meet, a suite of coronavirus aid packages, including rent and utility relief funding, eviction moratoriums, and expanded unemployment benefits, is set to expire at the end of December. Read the full article. The consequences could be…

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November 18, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
Report: Status of Economy has Minimal Effect on Racial Disparities in West Virginia

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Racial disparity in West Virginia looks the same during a recession as it does during periods of economic growth, according to a new report released this month. Read the full article. From economic status and education to health care access and infant mortality rates, almost every measure of racial inequality in the State…

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November 16, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
New Study Finds Persistent Racial Disparities in West Virginia

WOWK, CBS FOX59 - A newly released report looks at racial disparities in West Virginia. Read the full article. The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy says they want to open up a conversation about it and develop a common way of thinking about race. According to their annual State of Working West Virginia…

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November 11, 2020 by WVCBP
ReImagine Appalachia Coalition Releases Post-Election Statement Calling on Government Leaders to Help Rebuild Region via Robust Climate Stimulus

For Immediate Release: November 11, 2020Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 In the wake of the announcement of final results in the 2020 presidential race, the directors of the ReImagine Appalachia campaign made the following statement on behalf of the coalition. Charleston, WV - Like most of us, the people living in the Ohio Valley want future generations to have…

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November 11, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia Has a Long Road Ahead to Full Recovery

We are now eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic that first started affecting West Virginia's economy in late March. Since then, the state has experienced huge drops in employment and revenue, followed by a much smaller bounce back, with an influx of federal aid providing a boost. So how has West Virginia fared so far?…

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November 9, 2020 by WVCBP
13th Annual State of Working West Virginia Report Highlights Persistent Racial Inequity Throughout the State, Presents Policy Solutions from WV Community Leaders

For Immediate Release: November 09, 2020Contact: Sean O'Leary, 304-400-8899 Charleston, WV - In the 1960s, Black Americans across the country marched, protested, and even rioted as decades of institutional racism and oppression came to a head. Now in 2020, over half a century later, extraordinarily high numbers of Americans of all backgrounds marched once again in protest…

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November 3, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
State of Working West Virginia 2020: The State of Racial Inequality

Foreword In 1967, Black Americans marched, protested, and even rioted as decades of systemic racism and oppression came to a head. In response, President Lyndon Johnson established the Kerner Commission, which spent the next year researching, holding hearings, and visiting communities to examine racial inequity in the country. In 1968, the Commission issued its report,…

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