The State Journal - West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said he was disappointed but not surprised the state's failing economy has led to a downgrading of West Virginia's bond ratings. Read"Throughout my years of public service, I've worked hard to create a strong West Virginia by improving the state's business climate, addressing our long-term…
WVCBP in the News
The State Journal - West Virginia is no stranger to the effects the boom-and-bust cycles of coal and natural gas can have on an economy. ReadThe Mountain State, which has largely been reliant on coal and natural gas production for decades, is struggling to stay afloat. Low fuel prices and weak global markets have caused…
Coal Tattoo Blog - There's a new report out from the Bookings Institute that's worth taking a look at. Here's what the press release says: ReadThe recent boom and bust of unconventional oil and gas development, or "fracking," has reopened serious questions about resource management in many U.S. states. While the oil and gas boom…
West Virginia Public News Service - Some Republican lawmakers say a state Earned Income Tax Credit would add jobs by rebuilding West Virginia's workforce. ReadThe EITC is a line on federal tax forms that rewards work by low-income families. About half of states also have a state EITC. Del. Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell County, said some…
The State Journal - While leaders in the West Virginia Senate and House of Delegates ponder what to do with a $270 million hole in the state budget, a coalition of family service organizations, religious leaders, business owners and at least two lawmakers are urging the adoption of a state Earned Income Tax Credit to…
Huntington Herald-Dispatch -In the final days of the 2016 income-tax season, two lawmakers from Cabell and Kanawha counties have teamed up to push for legislation to create an earned income tax credit in West Virginia. ReadWhile Senate and House of Delegates leadership and budget committee members were working to find a compromise on how to…
The State Journal - For decades, West Virginia's lawmakers have relied on severance taxes from the state's vast coal reserves to help balance the state's budget. The seemingly never-ending stream of coal flowing out of the state's mountains was a predictable and significant source of revenue, and a major source of funding for a state…
Charleston Gazette - Regardless of who is elected president, the coal industry of southern West Virginia will continue vanishing, former Sen. Jay Rockefeller warned a National Energy Conference last week in Morgantown. Federal pollution laws will be upheld by courts, he said, no matter how much they're attacked by coal-state politicians. ReadHis sobering words were…
Beckley Register-Herald - For over 40 years, the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has supported families who work for lower wages. It is time that West Virginia join the 26 other states in enacting a state Earned Income Tax Credit. The EITC is one of the most effective tools in combating poverty and it…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - The state's plan to make some food stamp recipients in nine counties work or train or face losing those benefits will ultimately increase the burden on West Virginia's food banks, pantries and soup kitchens, advocates say. ReadThe state Department of Health and Human Resources announced late last year it would reinstate a…