West Virginia Watch - Last week West Virginians sent a clear message: Don’t cut Medicaid. Read the full op-ed. In overwhelming numbers, families, advocates and health care providers turned out to reject House Bill 3518, and called on their legislators to reject this dangerous proposal that would have automatically eliminated the Medicaid expansion — and with…
OpEds
WV Watch - As an educator and parent, I have seen firsthand the power of public schools to help our students achieve brighter futures and bring our communities together. But I have also watched the underfunding and politicization of public education in West Virginia over the past decade and the consequences for our state’s students. …
West Virginia Watch, Beckley Register-Herald , Ohio Capital Journal- Two hundred workers were laid off from the Bureau of Fiscal Service in Parkersburg. Thousands from the Department of Veterans Affairs (including at least 10 in West Virginia). And hundreds each from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Caring for our veterans,…
West Virginia Watch, Beckley Register-Herald, Spirit of Jefferson - At his first press conference as governor last week, Patrick Morrisey promised that under his watch state government will be “more efficient and effective than ever before.” He indeed has a powerful opportunity to increase government efficiency through comprehensive and thoughtful agency reviews, but he may…
Spirit of Jefferson - If we want to understand what is happening in West Virginia jails and prisons, we must listen to the people inside them. The Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) has taken a step in that direction. Read the full op-ed. On Monday, the agency released a new policy that allows people…
West Virginia Watch, Spirit of Jefferson, Hampshire Review - Educators in West Virginia, like their peers across the country, are reporting challenges in fulfilling their mission due to increased student behavior issues. Read the full op-ed. In response to these growing concerns, lawmakers have considered highly punitive school discipline measures. Their concerns are valid —…
West Virginia Watch, Beckley Register-Herald - Earlier this month, Gov. Jim Justice announced that legislators have had sufficient time to reach a consensus on his proposal to slash the state’s personal income tax for the third time in 18 months. In reality, the first two rounds of tax cuts have not even been fully phased…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - School is officially back in session for children across the Mountain State — with the vast majority (90%) receiving their education in our public school system. The new school year brings excitement and opportunities, but this year in West Virginia it also brings challenges as school districts face serving their students with…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Earlier this week, Gov. Jim Justice stood on a stage with balloons, banners and giant scissors to celebrate what his team hailed as a historic revenue announcement. The announcement? State revenues hit a complicated trigger formula which will automatically reduce the personal income tax by about $80 million — resulting in an…
Spirit of Jefferson - After five years of flat budgets, lawmakers returned to Charleston for the 2024 legislative session with many important spending priorities to address major needs. Members of the Republican majority have said they want to provide pay raises for public employees and raise starting salaries in sectors with vacancies, increase provider reimbursement…