News Releases

January 11, 2017 by WVCBP
Campaign Launched to Protect West Virginia

(Charleston, WV) - Protect West Virginia, a coalition of citizens and organizations who oppose further harmful budget cuts and who want to connect West Virginia values to the state's budget priorities, kicked off its campaign today. View the PDF release. Lauren Groseclose, Sarah Starks, and Alexandra Gallo, like many West Virginians, are already feeling the effects…

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December 19, 2016 by WVCBP
Statewide Budget and Tax Poll

(Charleston, WV) Seventy percent of West Virginians are willing to pay more in taxes to maintain funding for public schools, police protection, and roads, according to a new statewide poll released today. West Virginia voters largely place the blame for the state's budget crisis on tax breaks for large corporations and the wealthy. Read the full…

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December 12, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Why is West Virginia So Poor?

For Immediate Release Contact Sean O'Leary, 304-720-8682 (Charleston, WV) West Virginia continues to be one of the poorest states in the country, with consistently low income and high levels of poverty. A new report released today by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, "State of Working West Virginia 2016: Why is West Virginia So…

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September 15, 2016 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia Poverty Rate Unchanged

For Immediate Release Contact Seth DiStefano or Sean O'Leary  (Charleston, WV) Too many West Virginians struggled to make ends meet in 2015, so West Virginia needs to take immediate action to pass a state Earned Income Tax Credit which would make it easier for people to build a secure future. PDF of news release. Nearly…

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September 13, 2016 by WVCBP
Medicaid Expansion is Working

More People in West Virginia Have Insurance Thanks to Health Care Reform For Immediate Release Contact Ted Boettner (Charleston, WV) Health care reform, and especially Medicaid expansion, continued to help reduce the number of West Virginians without health insurance in 2015. Today's release from the Census Bureau of the country's official data on health insurance…

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August 18, 2016 by WVCBP
What Would Modernizing West Virginia’s Marijuana Laws Mean?

For Immediate ReleaseContact Tara Holmes or Ted Boettner, 304-720-8682This November, several states are poised to join many others that have chosen to legalize or decriminalize marijuana. Legislation has been introduced in West Virginia for years to either legalize medical marijuana or reduce the criminal penalties for marijuana possession. What would it mean to the state…

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July 19, 2016 by WVCBP
First-Ever Summer Policy Institute To Bring Together Students from Across WV

For Immediate ReleaseContact Linda Frame(Charleston, WV) The West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy (WVCBP) will hold the first-ever West Virginia Summer Policy Institute (SPI) at West Virginia Wesleyan College the weekend of July 29-31.The 2016 SPI will give West Virginia college students a chance to learn about vital policy issues affecting all West Virginians,…

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June 10, 2016 by WVCBP
West Virginia Groups Call for Action Against Government Shut Down

For Immediate ReleaseContact Tara MartinezA coalition of statewide organizations came together this morning to take action on the looming fears of a state government shutdown. The politics no longer matter. The real issue of jobs and services to our citizens has hit a boiling point."When we consider the extent to which citizens depend on our…

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June 2, 2016 by WVCBP
National Payday Lending Rule Has Potential Pitfalls for West Virginia

For Immediate ReleaseContact Linda Frame(Charleston) Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) unveiled a proposal for a new national rule on payday and car title lending that purports to end the worst abuses of payday lending around the country, but could undermine the strong state usury and other consumer protection laws in West Virginia. Read…

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April 19, 2016 by WVCBP
Fully Funding West Virginia Future Fund a Sensible Way to Protect State from Boom and Bust Energy Cycles

For Immediate Release Contact Ted Boettner, 304-720-8682 The recent boom and bust of Marcellus Shale development due to "fracking" has reopened serious questions about resource management. While the boom generated revenue, jobs, and economic development, the recent bust has adversely impacted state budgets due to declining industry investments in exploration and production and job cuts.…

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