WVCBP in the News

April 23, 2025 by Kelly Allen
Jack Bernard: No Longer the Party of Fiscal Responsibility (Opinion)

Charleston Gazette-Mail - “It’s kind of the perfect storm,” said Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy. “All of the spending and tax cuts are starting to hit the budget at the same time that those temporary revenue factors helped us make the case for the tax cuts have…

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April 13, 2025 by WVCBP
WV Legislature Sends Far-reaching Data Centers Bill to Governor Despite Cost Concerns

Huntington Herald-Dispatch - The West Virginia Legislature has passed controversial, far-reaching legislation aimed at attracting facilities that could grow the state’s tax base but also threaten to raise power bills and cause environmental harm. Read the full article. In the final hours of the state’s 2025 regular legislative session Saturday night, the Senate sent House…

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April 11, 2025 by Kelly Allen
WV House Passes Bill Exempting 14- and 15-Year Olds From Work Permit Requirement

West Virginia Watch - West Virginia 14- and 15-year-olds seeking employment would no longer be required to have a work permit under a bill approved by the House of Delegates Friday morning. Read the full article. Delegates passed Senate Bill 427 with a 91 to 9 vote. The House’s nine Democrats voted against the bill. There was no discussion…

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April 10, 2025 by WVCBP
County Tax Support Increased, Local Control Still Gutted in Moving Data Centers Bill

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s head has been on the cloud. Read the full article. But when it comes to attracting data centers, local government leaders say he’s leading West Virginia in starting off on the wrong foot. Their concerns didn’t stop a Morrisey-backed bill to entice data centers — server-populated warehouses that power…

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April 10, 2025 by Kelly Allen
Budget, Policy Expert Talks Microgrids And Tax Revenues

West Virginia Public Broadcasting - On this episode of The Legislature Today, microgrids are one of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s top legislative priorities this year, and House Bill 2014 is the vehicle to bring more of them to the state. But county officials came to testify earlier this week against the diversion of local property taxes from those facilities…

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April 7, 2025 by Seth DiStefano
New SNAP Restrictions May Spell Big Changes To Food Access In Small-Town W.Va.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting, West Virginia News - A single road connects Shannondale and its roughly 3,000 residents to the rest of Jefferson County. The rural community flanks West Virginia’s easternmost border, fixed between the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains. That makes for breathtaking waterside vistas, but one heck of a grocery commute.…

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