WVCBP in the News

December 12, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Trump EPA Pick: “Heavy Hand of EPA’ Didn’t Bring Coal’s Decline

The Charleston Gazette-Mail - Last week, when President-elect Donald Trump announced his plan to nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, West Virginia political leaders — constant critics of the EPA under the Obama administration — quickly voiced their approval of Trump's pick. Read.

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December 1, 2016 by Sean O'Leary
Lack of Behavioral Health Care for Young People Limiting State Progress

Public News Service - Lack of behavioral health care for children may be undermining West Virginia's efforts to reduce truancy, cut juvenile incarceration and improve foster care, advocates say. They pointed to surveys showing that a much higher than average portion of state high school students complained of mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety. And…

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December 1, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Upshur BOE Eyes Budget Cuts

The Inter-Mountain - Upshur County Schools will lose $160,000 in funding due to mid-year state budget cuts announced recently by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. Read. With an $87 million shortfall looming on the horizon, Tomblin earlier this month announced a statewide cut of $11.1 million to state school aid, the largest funding source for K-12…

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November 21, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Can Trump Actually “Put the Miners Back to Work?”

Public News Service - Donald Trump has promised to revitalize the coal industry and put miners back to work, but some political observers say he's raising false hope. Read. According to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, the decline in state coal production is being driven by cheap natural gas, low-cost wind and…

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November 16, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Our Broken Budget

West Virginia Executive Magazine - Some could see the $381 million revenue shortfall coming. Others were blindsided by it, recognizing a problem only after the regular legislative session ended without a budget bill. A steady flow of complaints with an undercurrent of urgency became the conversational norm among outraged citizens. If the budget bill wasn't…

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November 10, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Viewpoint Special Breaks Down 2016 Election Results

West Virginia Public Broadcasting - On a special episode on Viewpoint, the 2016 General Election results are in, but what do they mean for West Virginians today and into the future? Listen Conservative columnist Laurie Lin, of WVPB's The Front Porch, and West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy's Ted Boettner join host Ashton Marra…

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November 9, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Coal Eager for Trump Regulatory Rollbacks, but Industry Rebound Unlikely

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Leaders of West Virginia's coal industry were rejoicing Wednesday over the election of Republican Donald Trump as the nation's 45th president — and the possible regulatory rollbacks that may come with it — but industry and economic experts remained skeptical that Trump can really bring back a significant number of mining jobs…

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November 8, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Candidates for 14th Senate Seat Offer Different Visions for State’s Future

Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram - Deep in Mountaineer Country, the two major party candidates for the highly competitive 14th State Senatorial District, largely in Preston County, are battling over the question of how to move West Virginia forward at a time when coal seems to be dying. Read While incumbent Democrat Bob Williams is calling for a…

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November 5, 2016 by Sean O'Leary
Majority of WV Public College Grads Leave State for Work

Charleston Gazette-Mail - The majority of students who graduated from West Virginia's public colleges between 2003 and 2013 didn't go on to work in the state, a new report from West Virginia University finds. Read About two-thirds of the students who are from West Virginia wound up working in the state, and only about 10…

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