The COVID-19 pandemic has both underscored and exacerbated Black Americans’ health disparities across the United States. While this pattern has garnered national attention, West Virginia has been less successful in identifying and quantifying similar patterns, in part because Black West Virginians comprise less than 4 percent of the population, or roughly 64,500 people — well below the national average of 13…
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Over the past few weeks, Ted and I have looked at education in West Virginia, both as a reaction to the governor's education audit, and the likelihood that education reform will be a major topic in the upcoming legislative session. First I broke down West Virginia's education spending, and found that with a few exceptions,…
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences for many elements of the West Virginia economy, one of the most startling effects has been increased rates of food insecurity throughout the state, especially in households with children. This year, the third annual Food For All Summit will take a closer look at the cracks in…
This report describes the history and current methods of taxing one of the state’s most valuable resources. It is intended as a useful reference for county officials, coal companies, landowners, and local citizens. Morgantown-based Downstream Strategies prepared the report, in collaboration with the WV Center on Budget and Policy. Read
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) report, this new report revisits many of the same measures of well-being that ARC researchers examined a half-century ago. This analysis, however, focuses its attention on West Virginia, the one state that exists entirely within the federally designated Appalachian region, and, more…
Calling for a $1/Pack Increase in the Cigarette Tax Yesterday, a diverse group of advocates met to call for a long-overdue increase in the cigarette tax. West Virginia has the highest adult smoking rate in the nation and one of the lowest cigarette taxes. Raising the tax by $1/pack would still put the state's rate…
Friday morning's news that there was no job growth in the month of August sent disappointment throughout the country, and stoked fears that another recession may be around the corner. The meager 17,000 private sector jobs added were offset by an equal loss of public sector workers, as state and local governments continued to make cutbacks. A…
As part of the CARES Act COVID relief package passed by Congress in March, West Virginia received $1.25 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to help pay for the state’s pandemic-related costs. Guidance issued by the United States Treasury requires that payments from the CRF may only be used to cover costs that: Are necessary…
The Columbus Dispatch, MSN.com, Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland.com - Experts caution Ohio saying a proposed multi-billion dollar petrochemical plant may be a non-starter due to market conditions. Read article. With the price of plastic plummeting and a global oversaturation of ethane-ethylene cracker plants and plastics manufacturing, experts are cautioning Ohio about moving forward with an…
ABC27.com, WTRF.com - Regional economists are warning tri-state governors that the petrochemical boom is a ‘non-starter’… meaning the Ethane Cracker Plant potentially making its way to Dilles Bottom could be a giant leap in the wrong direction. Read article. Citing a years-long trend of declining profit margins of the Beaver County plant, a group of faculty…