WVCBP in the News

May 20, 2016 by WVCBP
Report: WV Needs More Funding for Higher Education, Not Less

Charleston Gazette-Mail - States like West Virginia need to invest more money into higher education — not cut it — to reverse the damage caused by years of funding cuts following the 2008 recession, a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released Thursday concludes. ReadThe annual report, which analyzed nationwide budgets…

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May 19, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Analysts Critical of Likely Legislative Approach to WV Budget

West Virginia Public News Service - Even with a 45-cent cigarette tax increase, budget analysts say state lawmakers look likely to lean too heavily on cuts and one-time money. Bowing to an anti-tax faction in the House, state senators have been working on a tobacco tax boost smaller than they passed in March. Observers say…

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May 19, 2016 by Seth DiStefano
Tobacco Tax Advances in Senate after Emotional Debate

Beckley Register-Herald - After an angst-filled debate that featured the Senate Health Committee chair's declaration that a hike in tobacco taxes would not curb smoking and a second plea for a $1 increase from Democrats, the upper chamber moved forward with an unchanged bill Senate leaders say won't make it through the House of Delegates.…

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May 10, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Coal Mining Jobs in West Virginia Aren’t Coming Back

Marketplace (National Public Radio) - West Virginia holds its primary Tuesday amid another war of words over coal mining. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has said, "We're going to put a lot of coal miners out of business." And Republican Donald Trump recently retorted, "We're going to put the miners back to work." ReadThe reality of…

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May 1, 2016 by Sean O'Leary
Statehouse Beat: Leadership Needed in Budget Battle

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Well, here it is May, and still no state budget passed. ReadSpeculation in March was that legislators would drag budget talks out beyond May 10, so they couldn't be accountable in the primary election for supporting any tax increases needed to balance the budget, and that scenario appears to be playing out.Whatever's…

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April 29, 2016 by Ted Boettner
WV Coalition Calls for $1 Tobacco Tax

Huntington Herald-Dispatch - Brooke Drake, of Charleston, knows how smoking affects her health, and she wants to make sure her nieces and nephews are never tempted to pick up her bad habit. ReadDrake and representatives of education, public health and faith-based organizations called on West Virginia legislators to raise the state's tobacco tax from 55…

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April 29, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Advocates Make Renewed Call for $1 Tobacco Tax Increase

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Proponents of a $1 increase in West Virginia's tobacco tax said Thursday that the struggling proposal is a "no-brainer" for the state with some of the highest rates of smoking among both teens and adults and an existing tax lower than that of 45 other states. ReadOn Thursday, a coalition representing members…

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April 28, 2016 by Ted Boettner
WV Tobacco Tax Proponents Say Measure Will Save Money

The State Journal - West Virginia will save tens of millions of dollars in medical costs if lawmakers increase the taxes on tobacco products, local health care providers say. ReadMembers of the policy research group West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy and local health care providers hosted a news conference Thursday, April 28 to…

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April 28, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Education, Public Health Organizations & Others Join Calls for $1 Cigarette Tax Hike

WV Metro News - An increase of at least $1 to the state tax on a pack of cigarettes could make the difference for West Virginia's physical and fiscal health, according to representatives from a coalition of West Virginia education, public health and faith-based community organizations. ReadAs state budget talks continue, those groups came together…

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April 27, 2016 by WVCBP
Renate Pore: Smart WV Budget Fix Will Save Essential Services

Charleston Gazette-Mail - As the Legislature discusses the West Virginia budget, I hope that they will bring a smart business approach to our budget dilemmas. Nobody like taxes but everybody wants good roads, good schools, health care, police protection and other services that require investments by our state. Read West Virginia legislators should understand that…

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