Contact: Stephen Smith, 304-610-6512, ssmith@wvhealthykids.org or Ted Boettner, 304-590-3454, tboettner@wvpolicy.org On February 4, more than 600 parents, kids and other community and faith advocates from across the state gathered at the state Capitol for Kids and Families Day to advocate for their 2014 Legislative Platform. "Our Children, Our Future" is a collaboration of over 155 West…
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Contact Ted Boettner at tboettner@wvpolicy.org or Sean O'Leary at soleary@wvpolicy.org or 304-720-8682 For the second year in a row, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin's proposed budget includes cuts to important programs like higher education and early childhood programs. To close other budget gaps, the governor draws from one-time revenue sources, including the state's Rainy Day Fund…
The 2014 County Health Rankings were released this week and in a bit of a surprise, little Pleasants County took top honors, while for the 5th year in a row, McDowell County earned the dubious distinction of the least healthy county in the state. These rankings, compiled annually by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and…
Our new fact sheet highlights how SNAP restrictions harm vulnerable populations that face barriers to work, negatively impact retailers, and increase demand on the state's charitable food sector. Read the full fact sheet here. Excerpt below: Overview The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) is the most powerful anti-hunger tool…
Welcome to Budget Beat, a recap of this week's blog posts, publications, reports and other information from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. Romney/Ryan Budget and What It Would Mean to West Virginia While there has been a lot of debate about how President Obama's environmental policies would hurt West Virginia's coal industry…
For Immediate ReleaseContact Linda Frame at (304) 720-8682(Charleston, WV) Today, leaders from the state's education, faith, labor and community-based organizations called on legislators to only pursue tax changes that truly benefit all West Virginians by allowing the state to continue investing in our schools and communities. PDF of news release.Since the end of the 2015…
For Immediate Release Contact Seth DiStefano or Linda Frame, 304-720-8682 As Tax Day approaches, state delegates are calling for legislation to create a tax credit for West Virginia families who earn low wages. Once enacted, West Virginia's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) would be the 27th in the nation, allowing families to keep more of…
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, WV) - Protect West Virginia, a coalition of citizens and organizations who oppose further harmful budget cuts and who want to connect West Virginia values to the state's budget priorities, kicked off its campaign today. View the PDF release. Lauren Groseclose, Sarah Starks, and Alexandra Gallo, like many West Virginians, are already feeling the effects…
SCORE Initiative Announced Yesterday at the state Capitol, Senate President Jeff Kessler announced the kick-off of his SCORE initiative, Southern Coalfields Organizing and Revitalizing the Economy. In a statement released yesterday, Senator Kessler cited these goals for SCORE: Increase funding for tourism advertising and development Education and workforce development and retraining initiatives Dedicating monies for…