Charleston Gazette - With plenty of choices of where to live, work and play, an environmental disaster like last month's Elk River chemical leak could have a severely negative impact on a city's reputation and thus its economy. Why would anyone choose to visit if they're unsure about the water? Read That is a challenge…
WVCBP in the News
Beckley Register-Herald - A bill that would raise the minimum wage for some 100,000 West Virginians passed the House Committee on Finance Thursday, with delegates from the region voting on opposite sides of the issue. Read The bill would take the current $7.25 an hour state minimum wage to $8 an hour by Jan. 1,…
Charleston Daily Mail - While state policymakers pride themselves on balancing budgets and having built a sizable Rainy Day Fund, a new national report has found the state isn't doing a very good job at long-term budget planning. Read West Virginia ranked 37th in a study of states' long-term fiscal planning measures released Tuesday by…
Charleston Gazette - As more and more states vote to increase the minimum wage, some say the time is right for West Virginia to do so, as well. Read "Several other states have independently raised their minimum wage, not waiting for federal action anymore and taking the lead," said Linda Frame, communications manager for the…
Charleston Daily Mail - A bill that would put a portion of oil and natural gas severance tax revenue in a special account for future use has passed its first hurdle in the Senate. Read Senate Bill 461 creates the Future Fund and was introduced by Senate President Jeff Kessler last month. The measure was…
Charleston Daily Mail - The House Industry and Labor Committee on Wednesday moved a bill that would incrementally increase the state's minimum wage to $8.25 an hour. Read An expert testifying before the committee said West Virginia has the second-lowest minimum wage at $7.25 an hour. That can be pinpointed as the root cause for…
Beckley Register-Herald - As state lawmakers debate how to close a $143 million budgetary shortfall for this budget year, the options are less than thrilling. Read They are debating a second year of 7.5 percent budget cuts and a hiring freeze for state employees. And they are looking everywhere for sources of revenue to somehow…
West Virginia Public News Service - As the West Virginia Legislature debates raising the minimum wage, lawmakers will talk about how hard work is necessary to get ahead. But sometimes language like that glosses over the reality of working poor families trapped by low wages and debt. Read Ray and Nicole are a couple with…
Charleston Gazette - The state and federal agencies that have been responding to the Elk River chemical leak all have one thing in common: They have had their budgets cut in the last few years. Read And people connected with those agencies say, perhaps not surprisingly, that the cuts have hurt their ability to prevent…
The State Journal - Is WV doing enough to prepare for the downsized role of coal in the state economy? Read Cal Kent and Ted Boettner inhabit opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they agree that West Virginia must face the fact that coal soon will play a smaller role in the state's economy.…