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October 1, 2013 by
Brandon Merritt: Answers to Questions on Health Care Plan

Charleston Daily Mail - The headlines and misinformation about Obamacare have left many people confused about the law and what they have to do it comply with it. Read To help clear the air, let's review some of the most common questions people have about Obamacare. Do I have to sign up for Obamacare? No.…

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August 18, 2022 by
In Harm’s Way: The True Costs of Pretrial Detention in West Virginia

When Anthony[1] was arrested in 2020, he sat at the police station for hours before a man came over the station telephone and told him, “We’re going to set your bond at $25,000 cash.” The man on the phone was a magistrate conducting Anthony’s “first appearance” hearing. At this hearing, a magistrate explains the criminal…

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March 30, 2018 by
2018 Legislative Wrap-Up

The 2018 regular legislative session was certainly one to remember. West Virginia saw its first-ever statewide teachers strike, a host of bad bills introduced, and a governor often missing from the statehouse at critical times. Let’s take a look back at what happened and how low- and moderate-income West Virginians fared under the capitol dome…

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February 12, 2016 by
2016 Legislative Session Hits Its Half-Way Mark

This Week at the Capitol: Session at Half-Way Mark "Right-to-Work" and Prevailing Wage On Thursday, Governor Tomblin vetoed both the repeal of the prevailing wage and the Right To Work bill. Today, both the House and Senate voted to override both vetoes. Both measures now become law. Drug Testing On Tuesday, the Senate passed SB…

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March 13, 2020 by
Taxes and the 2020 Legislative Session: A Mixed Bag of Good and Bad

While the tax bills passed during the 2020 Legislative Session are awaiting the governor's approval, most of the largest tax cut proposals failed to make it across the finish line but will likely return next year. Specifically, the legislature failed to place on the November 2020 ballot a constitutional amendment to repeal part or all…

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April 9, 2021 by
Latest Senate Income Tax Elimination Bill Still Cuts Taxes for the Wealthy While Raising Taxes for Everyone Else and Slashing the Budget, House has Not Yet Concurred

Wednesday night, the full WV Senate took up HB 3300, the House-originated personal income tax cut plan, and made a significant amendment before quickly passing the bill. Senators voted on the legislation without having had adequate time to fully discuss and comprehend its far-reaching implications -- a reckless action given that the bill would impact every…

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May 19, 2023 by
Don’t Hold West Virginians Hostage: Pass a Clean Debt Ceiling Increase

Congress is currently negotiating an increase in the "debt ceiling," which must be raised to prevent catastrophic economic consequences. Previously Congress has always acted when called upon to raise the debt limit. Since 1960, Congress has acted 78 separate times to permanently raise, temporarily extend, or revise the definition of the debt limit – 49…

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May 17, 2017 by
Tax Bills Lack Transparency, Accountability

For Immediate Release  Media Contact: Caitlin Cook, 304.720.8682 (Charleston, WV) During both the regular and special legislative session, the Senate passed tax bills without knowing what the fiscal impact of those bills would be on West Virginia's budget amid a $500 million budget deficit. PDF news release. This is of grave concern. Policymakers are gambling with…

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June 21, 2024 by
Welcome to the Team, Tamaya!

The WVCBP is excited to welcome Tamaya Browder to the team as our education policy fellow!  Tamaya was born and raised in Georgia and holds a B.S. in health promotion and behavior from the University of Georgia and a Master of Public Health from Georgia Southern University. Before joining the Center, Tamaya worked in public…

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April 25, 2018 by
West Virginia’s Performance Funding Model Should Work To Avoid Unintended Consequences

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission has been developing a model of performance-based funding for West Virginias higher education institutions, as mandated by the legislature. While 37 states have adopted some form of performance-based funding models for higher education, they have not all been successful, and have led to some unintended consequences. Performance-based funding models for…

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