Mountain State Spotlight - Betty Hunter was 12 years old when her mother introduced her to painkillers. Read the full article. By her 30s, her drug problem had turned into a full-blown addiction. When the pill mills shut down, she switched to heroin, then finally to fentanyl, the powerful opioid that has supercharged West Virginia’s…
WVCBP in the News
The Intermountain - Five years ago on Friday, March 13, 2020 Gov. Jim Justice announced a state of emergency, and all public places closed down. Private businesses were able to reopen sooner, but the public schools opened slowly because of concern for the health and safety of children. Randolph Co. Schools reopened after Labor Day…
Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia Daily News, Times West Virginian - Next year, West Virginia taxpayers will subsidize any parent who doesn’t want to send their kid to public school. Read the full article. The price tag? $315 million. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said he’s concerned about the state being able to afford the…
WOWK - On this week’s episode of Inside West Virginia Politics, we discuss the Myrtle Beach wildfires, budget cuts, a pitch competition and bills. Read the full article. In Segment One, we talk to Meteorologist Scotty Powell about the wildfires in the Carolinas. In Segment Two, we talk to Kelly Allen of the WV Center…
West Virginia MetroNews, Beckley Register-Herald - West Virginia officials are watching what could happen if a financial framework for the federal government makes major changes to Medicaid. Read the full article. The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a budget resolution this past week that could open the door to $880 billion in cuts to spending with…
Intermountain - This coming Friday we plan to have our second “First Friday Focus on Education” gathering in the Learning Lab at Kump Education Center, 401 S. Randolph Avenue across from Kroger at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7. Read the full article. We hope to develop more understanding of problems that impede progress in our schools…
West Virginia Watch, Times West Virginian - The price tag for the Hope Scholarship, the state’s education savings account program, will double next year, climbing to more than $100 million. As budget concerns loom, lawmakers are questioning if the state can afford the program that is a hallmark of the Republican-heavy Legislature’s education freedom push. …
West Virginia Watch - More than 25,000 children in West Virginia don’t have access to child care, and last year, budget concerns stalled bills meant to tackle the issue. This year, a new wave of budget questions could put the problem on the back burner. Read the full article. Addressing a web of child care issues was a…
West Virginia Watch, Times West Virginian - A West Virginia House of Delegates committee is considering legislation that would prohibit recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, from using their benefits to purchase soft drinks and candy. Read the full article. House Bill 2350, and similar legislation around the country,…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - Just one month after his inauguration, the Trump administration has cut thousands of workers across the federal government. The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, headed by Elon Musk, is looking to slash at least $1 trillion in federal spending across dozens of departments. Kelly Allen, executive director of the…