Make or Break Time With Just a Week to Go The 2015 Legislation Session is in the home stretch with time running out to pass legislation. We are happy to report that the bill to drug test recipients of TANF benefits is dead. This expensive and inefficient program would have been an unnecessary expense for…
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The 2019 regular legislative session ended this past Saturday. Overall, it was one of the more successful legislative sessions in recent years, all things considered. There were also a string of disappointments along with some surprising victories and the defeat of many bad bills. On the fiscal side, most of the regressive tax policy legislation…
Two plans to eliminate West Virginia's state income tax are now under consideration, one proposed by Governor Justice and the other by the West Virginia House of Delegates. The two proposals differ significantly, but they both disproportionately benefit the wealthiest West Virginians and create vast holes in the state budget, necessitating massive, painful cuts to critical public services. The…
With a special session on education reform looming, the Chamber of Commerce has weighed in with a "comprehensive" report on education outcomes in West Virginia. Like their previous report on the subject, the Chamber analysis focuses solely on education spending, concluding that West Virginia educational outcomes are too low despite the amount the state is…
While we knew that eliminating the business personal property tax was at the top of the legislative agenda, it was unclear how the tax cut would take shape. Now with the introduction of Senate Joint Resolution 8, the Manufacturing Growth Amendment, we can better understand its potential impact. As previous blog posts have shown, the…
I've talkedΒ beforeΒ about how tax incentives aren't particularly effective in transforming the state's economy. They might create a modest number of jobs in the short run, but tax incentives deplete resources available for public investments that can improve a region's infrastructure and increase the skills of it workforce. Basic public investments can better improve a region's…
We Are Thankful for You As we enter the holiday season we would like to pause to express how thankful we are to you, our supporters. Happiest of all holiday seasons to you and your families! Save the Date - Budget Breakfast, January 21, 2015 The WVCBP will hold its second annual Budget Breakfast…
West Virginia places four times as many children per capita into the foster care system as the United States as a whole. Most foster care entries in West Virginia are related to substance use or neglectβnot abuse. Poverty and lack of access to substance use treatment are major drivers of foster care entry.[i] To solve…
Budget Breakfast - January 22, 2014 The legislative session is just around the corner and that means it's almost time for Governor Tomblin to release his proposed budget. Will there be more budget cuts this year? What programs will bear the brunt? Don't we need to invest more in education if we want to create…
by Betty Rivard and Ted Boettner West Virginia has been targeted by a number of conservative groups to adopt a resolution calling on Congress to convene a constitutional convention of the states, with the goal of adopting a balanced budget amendment (BBA). Opponents from across the full political spectrum are alarmed that a convention of…