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…
News Releases
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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.…
For Immediate Release Contact Seth DiStefano or Linda Frame, 304-720-8682 As Tax Day approaches, state delegates are calling for legislation to create a tax credit for West Virginia families who earn low wages. Once enacted, West Virginia's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) would be the 27th in the nation, allowing families to keep more of…
For Immediate Release Contact: Sean O'Leary or Ted Boettner, 304-720-8682 (Charleston, WV) – One of the most complicated pieces of legislation is also one of the most important: the state budget. The state budget directly affects everyone living in West Virginia. It consists of thousands of decisions about our shared responsibility to maintain and improve…