WVCBP in the News

June 21, 2016 by Sean O'Leary
Report: Upper Middle Class Bigger Than Ever

WDTV - We often hear about the top one percent, but what if that number is actually bigger? New research says the number of upper middle class households in our country has more than doubled in the past few decades. Read/WatchSome local experts 5 News talked to say the trend holds true for our state,…

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June 20, 2016 by Ted Boettner
For Now, Charleston Housing Costs Reasonable

Charleston Gazette-Mail - The cost of housing in Charleston is still reasonable, according to housing data from the Associated Press, but it might not remain that way for long. ReadCharleston has the smallest percentage of stressed homeowners — homeowners who pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs — out of all…

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June 20, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Boettner: Long-term Budget Fix Needed

Parkersburg News & Sentinel - West Virginia's budget struggles will continue without significant changes, but there's no time to make them now, the head of a statewide policy group said Monday. Read "We're in a real crisis," Ted Boettner, executive director of the nonprofit and non-partisan West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, said during…

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June 1, 2016 by Ted Boettner
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry Talks Energy, Trump in Charleston

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry visited Charleston on Tuesday to raise money for Senate President Bill Cole's run for governor, boost Donald Trump's run for the presidency and to tout business-friendly policy proposals. ReadThe two-time Republican presidential candidate told a room full of invited energy executives and lobbyists that states need to…

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May 24, 2016 by Sean O'Leary
Businesses Mum on New Overtime Rules

Beckley Register-Herald - Come December, an estimated 66,000 West Virginians could see a bump in their paychecks when new overtime rules go into effect, allowing more low-level managers and educators to collect pay for working more than 40 hours a week. ReadThe new rules increase the yearly salary threshold which generally determines which employees qualify…

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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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