Charleston Gazette - Poorer families often need short-term financial assistance when family members lose jobs or face serious health problems. Read State government leaders should reduce current requirements that those families must deplete all their savings and assets before they can qualify to receive short-term assistance.
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Mountain State Spotlight - Despite a federal judge’s ruling, West Virginia has no immediate plans to distribute federal stimulus checks to people incarcerated in the state’s jails and prisons. Read the full article. The federal government sent many Americans $1,200 checks earlier this year, through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. But for months, the…
This afternoon, the Governor's Office sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) chief, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, regarding the Affordable Care Act in West Virginia. In the letter dated July 15, Governor Tomblin requests "prompt answers to several questions concerning implementation of the ." (See the letter here) The majority of…
“Right-to-Work” laws do not guarantee jobs for workers. Instead they prohibit unions and employers from including a provision in contracts that requires employees who benefit from union representation to pay for their fair share toward those costs. PDF of Fast Facts. Some state lawmakers argue that if West Virginia adopted a so-called “right-to-work” (RTW) law…
Tax filing can be a costly and complicated process for families and small businesses. The reason the system is so complicated is because for years, paid tax preparation corporations have profited by charging families to fulfill their legal obligation to file taxes each year. These companies, including Intuit and H&R Block, have conducted massive lobbying efforts…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - All too often, public policy debates get couched between those who favor government intervention in the market and those who do not. When it comes to economic issues, the framing is usually that conservatives favor less government or the “free market” while progressives want government solutions and non-market outcomes. This framing is…
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.…
In July 2023, West Virginia reimplemented pre-pandemic time limits for some adults receiving food assistance via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The time limits apply to adults between 18 and 52 (up to 54 in September 2024) without a documented disability and without children under 18 in the household, often referred to as “able-bodied…
The West Virginia Legislature has introduced legislation (SB 60 & HB 2741) that make it harder for low-income West Virginians to receive food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If enacted, this legislation would create economic hardship for thousands of low-income West Virginians, drain our state of millions in SNAP dollars, and cost…
U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) unveiled the outline of the Patient Freedom Act of 2017, a one-page document describing a proposed legislative approach that could follow the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. However, the proposal raises serious questions and leaves important questions unanswered. Based…