WVCBP in the News

September 27, 2023 by Rhonda Rogombe
Health of Black Mothers and Babies in WV Will Be Focus of Meeting

West Virginia Watch - West Virginia’s poor Black infant and maternal health outcomes will be the focus of a two-day meeting in Charleston next month. Read the full article. The event, Empowering Black Infant and Maternal Health Progress in West Virginia, is scheduled for Oct. 15 and 16 in the  WVSSPA Conference Center, 1610 Washington…

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September 23, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia has Highest Rate of Child Poverty in the US

WOWK - West Virginia has the highest rate of child poverty of any state in the nation, and the problem is getting worse before it gets better. Read the full article. In West Virginia, 25% of children live in poverty, this is a 21% jump from 2022. This means that 86,000 children in West Virginia…

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September 22, 2023 by WVCBP
What Led to WVU’s Wide-ranging Academic Cuts? Enrollment Downturn and State Funding Decline Played a Part.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - West Virginia University’s far-reaching plan of academic cuts follows years of challenges at the flagship school. Read the full article. On Friday, the university’s board of governors axed 28 majors and 143 faculty positions as officials attempt to mitigate a $45 million deficit that could swell to $75 million by 2028.  Upon the cuts, WVU…

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September 20, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
Sen. Joe Manchin Helped Kill the Expanded Child Tax Credit. Now, More West Virginia Kids Are Living in Poverty.

Mountain State Spotlight A quarter of West Virginia’s children are living in poverty thanks in part to the actions of Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who repeatedly stymied federal legislation to extend the expanded child tax credit. The program provided monthly cash payments to families of over 300,000 kids in the state in 2021. West Virginia’s…

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September 19, 2023 by WVCBP
City Council Member: Should State Look Into Charleston Police Overtime Bill?

WOWK CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Millions of dollars worth of overtime within the Charleston Police Department dominated conversation Monday night at the Charleston City Council meeting. On Monday, Sept. 18, council members Shannon Snodgrass and Beth Kerns voiced their opposition regarding the thousands of hours of overtime racked up by officers last year. In fact,…

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September 18, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
New Census Data Shows a Quarter of WV Kids Were Living in Poverty in 2022

West Virginia Watch, Hampshire Review - One in four children in West Virginia were living in poverty in 2022, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week. Read the full article. West Virginia was the only state in the nation to see its rate of child poverty increase from 2021, according…

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September 6, 2023 by Sara Whitaker
Concerns Arise About Charleston Police Department Overtime Bill

WOWK CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — It’s not just leadership issues that are stirring up controversy in the Charleston Police Department. The staggering cost of police overtime pay is also raising some eyebrows. Major events such as the return of the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta and Live on the Levee fuel the need for police overtime. But the city…

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September 5, 2023 by Sara Whitaker
Report: Charleston Police Overtime Hours, Expenses Continue to Grow

Charleston Gazette-Mail A recent report from the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy found that Charleston police officers are increasing overtime by thousands of hours and dollars each year. Sara Whitaker, author of the report, found that, in fiscal year 2023 (July 2022-June 2023), Charleston officers claimed 78,004 hours of overtime to the tune of almost…

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