Charleston Daily Mail - As the state's natural gas industry continues to expand, members of the West Virginia Legislature are developing a plan to keep some of that revenue within the state's borders. Read Senate President Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, has touted his ideas for a Future Fund since the 2013 legislative session. Now, his idea…
WVCBP in the News
The State Journal - The promise of better days ahead in West Virginia is always front and center this time of the year, as a new session of the state legislature is being prepared. Read But for 2014, that hope may not be more pronounced than ever before. The source for that hope - an…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - A study of land ownership, a documentary about a long-running music show, and positive stories about West Virginians --- these are your favorite posts from 2013 on wvpublic.org. Read Here's my personal take on what you like: You like in-depth stories that explain West Virginia to you (Who Owns West…
The State Journal - When the West Virginia Capitol was completed in 1932, it housed every office of state government. Read Every single office of state government … in one building. That's unthinkable today. Barring another mid-year budget adjustment, West Virginia state government is an $11.47 billion enterprise that employs about 43,000 people directly and…
The State Journal - Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, a liberal think tank, responded to the question, "What do you think the role of state government should be?" Read "Our public investments in schools, health care, transportation, innovation and public safety are not only essential to our…
"Future Funds" Could Spur Economic Development in Central Appalachia The Appalachian Voice - As Central Appalachian coal production declines, many realize the need to maximize tax revenues from coal and natural gas extraction. For the past three years, a movement to establish a permanent natural resource trust fund has grown in West Virginia. Ted Boettner,…
WDTV - Minimum wage workers in a handful of states will be ringing in the new year with an automatic pay raise. It is a trend that reflects growing concerns about the spread of low wage jobs here and across the U.S. Read Of the 13 states making the move to increase the minimum wage,…
Beckley Register-Herald and Parkersburg News and Sentinel - After months of meetings and discussions, the "Our Children, Our Future Campaign to End Child Poverty" coalition's approved 2014 state legislative agenda focuses on issues ranging from increasing the minimum wage to adding 30 minutes of physical activity to each school day. Read The coalition will also support…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - According to a recent report, the top 25 landowners in West Virginia own about 20 percent of the surface in the state. And perhaps not surprisingly, most of those landowners live elsewhere. The report, released by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, is the first to take a…
Martinsburg Journal - In its recently released report titled "Who Owns West Virginia?", the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy shows that in parts of the state, especially in the southern part, private lands are held by very few landowners and most are out-of-state companies. Read For instance, more than 51 percent of the…