An increase to West Virginia's soft drink tax, which has remained stagnant for more than 60 years, could serve as another way to bolster the state's flagging tax revenue while discouraging soda consumption, according to local policy experts. ReadTara Holmes, the summer research associate for the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, told a…
WVCBP in the News
Beckley Register-Herald - As West Virginia continues to battle a combination of economic woes — decline of the coal industry, low natural gas prices, low workforce participation and low education rates — that have taken a toll on the state's budget, the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy is pushing for an Earned Income…
West Virginia Public News Service - If the natural gas market follows classic patterns, drilling in the Marcellus shale will rise once the price climbs from the basement. ReadWhat should West Virginia do to prepare?Sean O'Leary, a senior policy analyst with the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, says the state should gear up…
WOWK - The devastating floods of 2016 have only added to the budget storm that hovers over West Virginia. After just one month in the new fiscal year, tax revenue in the Mountain State is already down by nearly 33 million dollars. But even without the floods, money troubles were already coming. Read/Watch"Yes, absolutely. We…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Homeless people in West Virginia will not have to find work or training to receive food-stamp benefits, the state Department of Health and Human Resources has decided. Read The state plans to exempt homeless people by October from a requirement in nine West Virginia counties stating a person must work or train…
The State Journal - For nearly a decade, state officials and industry leaders have been touting the development of Marcellus Shale gas as an economic game-changer for the state of West Virginia. While the natural gas industry has undoubtedly provided isolated growth, it hasn't quite "changed the game" like it was expected to. ReadTalk of…
WCSM Radio - Ohio gets poor grades for its response to the boom in shale gas drilling, but a pair of new reports could help communities prepare for the future. ReadThe Multi-State Shale Research Collaborative - a partnership between Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia - has issued a report card on shale gas policies and…
Akron Beacon Journal - While drilling of new gas wells in the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays has fallen recently, industry experts expect renewed activity over many years once prices rebound. To help drilling communities and the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia get the response to drilling right in the future, the Multi-State…
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,…
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…