The big news out of Charleston continues to be on the education front, with changes to the Senate's omnibus education reform bill (SB451) making it all the way through the House committee and amendment process, despite several attempts to put harmful measures back in the legislation. Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) were removed in the House…
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“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…
The passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) included a little-heralded provision to permit states to expand coverage of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to children of public employees. So far, at least seven states have benefited from allowing public employees to enroll their children in CHIP. If West Virginia were to adopt…
West Virginia MetroNews - Gov. Jim Justice isn’t happy about about some restrictions for how states can use federal relief built into the plan passed by the U.S. Senate. Read the full article. “It’s all about just petty nothing,” Justice said today. “That’s the only reason that got written in there.” The $1.9 trillion federal relief package…
The State Journal - Jason Barrett proved himself as a small businessman, running pizzerias long before his two-year stint as an elected official. ReadThat experience gave him a perspective other delegates heavily leaned on as they crafted a bill that became law during the 2014 legislative session, increasing wages for thousands of West Virginians.Barrett was…
Wednesday night, the full WV Senate took up HB 3300, the House-originated personal income tax cut plan, and made a significant amendment before quickly passing the bill. Senators voted on the legislation without having had adequate time to fully discuss and comprehend its far-reaching implications -- a reckless action given that the bill would impact every…
West Virginia MetroNews - West Virginia improved its overall child well-being ranking compared to last year, according to an annual assessment — although that meant moving from 44th to 41st among the states. Read the full article. That’s according to the most recent Kids Count Data Book, a 50-state report of recent data developed by the…
Mountain State Spotlight, Beckley Register-Herald - Shepherdstown Mayor Jim Auxer is proud to point out that, even throughout the pandemic’s worst months and the challenges they presented, his town managed to maintain its services and keep on all its government workers. Read the full article. Auxer estimates Shepherdstown lost a couple hundred thousand dollars in…
A lawsuit that began as a long-shot challenge to the Affordable Care Act now has life and death stakes as it winds its way through the courts. This is a lawsuit that West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey signed the state onto, even though our residents arguably have the most to lose if the Affordable…
West Virginia saw another month of relatively slow job growth as the state and the nation continue to struggle with COVID-19's economic impact. According to Workforce WV, total nonfarm employment increased by 5,500 jobs in August, including 2,200 private sector jobs. While the economy is still adding jobs, the pace of the recovery has slowed significantly in the…