Income and Work

March 20, 2021 by WVCBP
Meredith Hartery, Collen Harshbarger: Equal Pay for Women in WV Essential

Charleston Gazette-Mail - March 24, 2021 is Equal Pay Day, the day when women and men around the country recognize the wage gap between working women and men and offer remedies to address pay inequity. Read the full op-ed. In West Virginia, women are paid, on average, 74 cents for every dollar their male counterparts…

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March 11, 2021 by WVCBP
GUEST EDITORIAL: The American Rescue Plan Is the relief West Virginians need

Mineral Daily News-Tribune - The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy applauds the passage of the American Rescue Plan. This legislation is the kind of action the country needs at this moment, when unemployed workers are still struggling to pay their bills, millions of families are falling further behind on rent and at risk…

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March 11, 2021 by Kelly Allen
US House Approves $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill; Biden to Sign Measure Friday

West Virginia MetroNews - The U.S. House of Representatives approved changes to the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief measure Wednesday with President Joe Biden set to sign the bill this week. Read the full article. The House voted 220-211 along party lines in support of changes made by the Senate last weekend. No Republicans in any chamber backed…

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March 10, 2021 by Kelly Allen
House Adopts New Labor Law Redefining Independent Contractors

Charleston Gazette-Mail - The West Virginia House of Delegates has adopted a bill changing the legal definitions of when a worker in the state is an employee or an independent contractor. Read the full article. The House adopted Senate Bill 272 by a margin of 77-23, the ratio of Republicans to Democrats in the GOP-controlled House. The bill is…

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February 27, 2021 by WVCBP
House COVID Relief Bill Is the Response West Virginians Need

For Immediate Release: February 27, 2021Contact: Jessie Ice, 304-322-0074 or Renee Alves, 559-916-5939 Charleston, WV - Last night’s passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of a comprehensive COVID relief bill is an important step forward. This legislation is the kind of action we need in this moment, when the economy is still weak and…

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February 25, 2021 by WVCBP
ReImagine Appalachia Climate Infrastructure Plan Would Create over 41,000 WV Jobs

For Immediate Release: February 25, 2021Contact: Dana Kuhnline, (304) 825 3262 Links to report and summaries: New PERI report (Link)ReImagine Appalachia summary of new PERI report (Link)Infographic summary of report findings Link to Zoom event recording:  Facebook Live Charleston, WV - The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) released a report today showing that the ReImagine Appalachia (RA) blueprint could create…

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February 25, 2021 by WVCBP
New Report Predicts Power of Investments in Clean Energy Infrastructure in WV

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Visions of a more prosperous West Virginia abounded during a virtual news conference Thursday that focused on new findings from an economic and job impact study that made the case for sweeping investments in Appalachian infrastructure. Read the full article. It’ll take a lot of money and political willpower to make those visions a…

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February 22, 2021 by WVCBP
Joe Manchin Poses a Threat to Raising the Minimum Wage, Even Though 250,000 West Virginians Would Benefit from the Increase

Business Insider, Today UK News, Yahoo News, Good Word News - Congressional Democrats are scrambling to keep their $15 federal minimum wage proposal included in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan this week as they face an unlikely obstacle: centrist members of their own party. Read the full article. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and…

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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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