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May 7, 2024 by
Reducing Poverty Can Improve Educational Outcomes

One in four children in West Virginia lived in poverty in 2022, the second highest rate of any state in the country. With the state pursuing education reform focused on funneling taxpayer funding out of public schools and into the private sector via the Hope Scholarship, West Virginia's voucher program which is growing more expensive…

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April 2, 2021 by
HB 3300, the WV House Plan to Eliminate the State Personal Income Tax Crosses Over to Senate, Significant Changes on the Table

This week, the Senate Finance Committee took up HB 3300, the House’s personal income tax cut plan, and made significant changes before quickly passing it out of committee. Unlike the House plan, which phased out the income tax over time with no revenue offsets, the Senate’s plan is more similar to the governor’s proposal, making a…

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February 23, 2021 by
TANF Drug Use Screening Harmful to Low-Income West Virginians

In 2017, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) launched a three-year pilot program that screened drug use among recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Otherwise known as WV WORKS, TANF provides cash assistance for low-income families and helps with child care, skills training, and job searching. As the pilot…

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April 23, 2021 by
Congress Should Prioritize Long-term Extensions of Critical Family Supports, Along with Additional Care Infrastructure

The health and economic impacts of COVID-19 have exacerbated longstanding economic inequities faced by West Virginians. Thankfully, the recent stimulus and rescue packages have shown us a way to rebuild from the pandemic by investing in families. In particular, the expansions of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the American Rescue Plan (ARP)…

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September 11, 2020 by
Republicans’ “Skinny” COVID Relief Package Failed to Pass Senate. Urgent Need Remains for a Plan that is Proportionate to Magnitude of Crisis

Yesterday a Republican-proposed COVID relief package failed to pass the U.S. Senate. While West Virginia's communities desperately need additional relief, the provisions included in this legislation were far too meager to meet the immediate and ongoing needs of our state and people. WVCBP interim executive director stated in a press release yesterday: "Today's COVID proposal,…

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March 31, 2023 by
Mass Incarceration 2023: A Report from the Legislature

During the 2023 regular legislative session, West Virginia lawmakers introduced more than 300 bills related to the criminal legal system. Nearly half of those bills created new criminal offenses or increased penalties for existing crimes. To a Hammer, Every Problem is a Nail One trend that emerged was lawmakers’ penchant for believing that the criminal…

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February 6, 2024 by
West Virginia’s Revenue Gap Grows to $378 Million as Tax Changes and Their Impacts Continue to Phase In

After five years of flat budgets, lawmakers returned to Charleston for the 2024 legislative session with many important spending priorities to address major needs. Members of the Republican majority have said they want to provide pay raises for public employees and raise starting salaries in sectors with vacancies, increase provider reimbursement rates, and address child…

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May 16, 2024 by
Hope Scholarship-driven Enrollment Decline has Major Impacts on Public Schools and Students

Nearly 250,000 West Virginia children receive their education in the public school system. High-quality public education helps make the American dream possible—at its best, ensuring a strong educational foundation for all children across race, ethnicity, disability status, gender, religion, and socioeconomic background. In addition to public schools educating the vast majority of children in our…

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