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June 27, 2013 by
Brandon Merritt: Obamacare May Be the Best Deal Yet for Youth

A recent Daily Mail editorial stating that the Affordable Care Act  is a bad deal for young people is, simply put, wrong. Citing a Wall Street Journal article, the editorial suggests that young people will opt to pay the penalty instead of purchasing health insurance, undermining the success of the ACA. This assumption is not…

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June 27, 2023 by
Motherhood Behind Bars: My Story

This blog post was authored by Teri Castle, the 2023 Criminal Legal Reform Summer Research Fellow for the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. Seventeen years ago, I was being held in Western Regional Jail, waiting to be transferred to Lakin Correctional Center. I had just been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to…

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July 6, 2018 by
Team

KELLY ALLEN - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pronouns: She/her/hers Kelly Allen is the executive director at the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. She is a lifelong West Virginian who joined the WVCBP team in 2018. She holds a B.A. in political science and communications from West Virginia University and a Master of Public Administration from…

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January 25, 2024 by
Policies That Further Restrict SNAP Harm Families, Retailers, and the Charitable Sector

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…

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December 17, 2012 by
Not All Tax Incentives are Tax Credits *Update*

This month's New York Times article on business tax subsidies has attracted plenty of attention in West Virginia, as our state was listed as second in the nation with $857 per resident given out to attract businesses in the state. While state officials defended the state's use of tax incentives, Phil Kabler in Sunday's Gazette-Mail…

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May 12, 2023 by
Welcome to the Team, Teri and Veronica!

The WVCBP is excited to welcome Teri Castle and Veronica Witikko to the team as our 2023 summer research fellows! Teri is serving as our criminal legal reform summer research fellow. She was born in Huntington, WV, and grew up in the surrounding region. She recently graduated from Marshall University, earning a B.A. with a…

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November 22, 2019 by
Another Proposed SNAP Rule Threatens Food Security for West Virginia Families

Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Trump Administration unveiled their third attack in a year on the nation's nutrition safety net, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This latest proposal would essentially force families to choose between paying their utilities and putting food on the table. The proposed rule, which…

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June 22, 2021 by
Rutherford County Reported the 12th Largest Population Growth in the U.S.

WGSN Radio - For the first time ever, California posted a population decline in 2020, and the United States as a whole didn’t fare much better. Its growth has decelerated to 0.35% year-over-year, the slowest growth rate since the Great Depression. Read the full article. Population experts blame the slowing growth rate on three big…

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July 26, 2021 by
US Suffers Population Decline, So Does California & Illinois

Big Sky Business Journal - For the first time ever, California posted a population decline in 2020, and the United States as a whole didn’t fare much better. Its growth has decelerated to 0.35% year-over-year, the slowest growth rate since the Great Depression. Read the full article. Population experts blame the slowing growth rate on three…

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March 9, 2024 by
West Virginia Legislature Completes Action on Unemployment Bill

West Virginia Watch, News from the States - With hours to spare on the last night of the West Virginia Legislature’s 60-day session, the House of Delegates approved an amended version of a Senate bill that changes the structure of the state’s unemployment benefit program.  Read the full article. Delegates passed Senate Bill 841 with a…

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