Beckley Register-Herald - Across our state, West Virginians are continuing to bear the brunt of the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. Food insecurity is spiking, families are facing eviction from their homes because they can’t afford rent, parents are struggling to balance child care and work, and officials are scrambling to figure out how…
OpEds
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Around the country, states are seeing dramatic increases in Medicaid enrollment as furloughed workers and their dependents lose their job-based health insurance and turn to Medicaid for coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Read op-ed. Since March, West Virginia has seen an increase in Medicaid enrollment of approximately 24,000 people, but that is…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - While West Virginia has avoided major budget problems, so far, it is unlikely to continue as several billion dollars in federal aid dries up and the economic reality of the pandemic-induced recession continues to put downward pressure on state and local budgets. Link to op-ed here. Policymakers would be wise to take…
Beckley Register-Herald - Gov. Jim Justice needs to immediately classify grocery store, food processing and pharmacy workers who must work during this pandemic as first responders through Executive Order. Read op-ed. Being classified as an “essential” employee during the COVID-19 pandemic and response may guarantee you keep your paycheck, but it doesn’t keep you and…
Morgantown Dominion Post - Over the past several months, the Monongalia County Commission has been negotiating a “payment in lieu of taxes” (PILOT) deal with Longview Power LLC to build a gas-fired power plant. PILOT agreements are property tax abatements where corporations agree to make annual payments to local governments instead of paying the property…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - A crisis like the coronavirus outbreak creates an immense amount of pressure on state and local government finances. Demand for vital public services escalates just as the revenue to support those services takes a major downturn. Read op-ed. West Virginia is already in a tight budget situation, with resources stretched thin. Before…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - As of publication, no cases of COVID-19 have been identified in West Virginia, but it is very likely only a matter of time until our state’s residents are affected. Read op-ed. While the Governor’s Office and state agencies are taking this issue very seriously, this pandemic has revealed serious holes in our…
Beckley Register-Herald - Like many things, the coronavirus is exposing the disproportionate impacts that disease has on those with the least in our country. “Just stay home if you’re sick” is much easier said than done. Read op-ed. The ability to stay home when you are sick is heavily dependent on whether your employer offers…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Back in 2007, the West Virginia Legislature dramatically changed the state’s tax system, reducing business taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars per year. The package included phasing out the business franchise tax and reducing the corporate net income tax from 9 percent to 6.5 percent. Other cuts and credits would follow.…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Legislative leadership appears poised to pass yet another round of corporate tax cuts that will hurt working families, our schools and colleges, and push more money out-of-state to large corporations. It doesn’t have to be this way. Lawmakers could instead put their efforts toward investing in our communities, our health, our education, and…