Recent proposals from the Trump Administration and Congress aim to cut federal education funding and dismantle the United States Department of Education, contributing to the rising trend of disinvestment from public education. Federal funds support critical programs in West Virginia like Title I, which serves low-income children, Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) funding to serve children with…
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This afternoon the Senate Finance Committee introduced their version of the FY 2024 budget. Notably–to account for their plan to cut taxes for the state's wealthiest households and businesses–the Senate's proposed budget is significantly smaller than the budget proposed by the governor. The Senate budget proposal relies on one-time surplus funds to pay for ongoing,…
West Virginia's free community college bill continues to move through the legislature. While the bill in its current form is fairly limited in who it applies to, it is worth revisiting the question of what it would take to provide free tuition to all of West Virginia's in-state college students, and how that cost compares…
West Virginia joins states around the country in moving towards free higher education, with SB 284, the free community college bill supported by Governor Justice and Senate President Carmichael. The "WV Invest Grant" program would provide a grant offsetting tuition for eligible students who enroll in one of the state's two year colleges. The grant…
The annual open enrollment period for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, began on November 1stand continues through December 15th. This is a great time for folks who don’t get insurance through a job, Medicare or Medicaid to shop for health coverage at www.healthcare.gov. The Affordable Care Act and the…
West Virginia News - Recent reports have shown positive improvements in children’s health in West Virginia. Read the full article. The 2024 Kids Count Data Book ranked West Virginia 35th nationally in the category of health, a four-place improvement from last year’s ranking. Indicators such as low birth-weight babies, children without health insurance, child and…
Join the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy for our inaugural budget happy hour. Hosted at the WVSSPA Conference Center from 4:30-6:00pm Wednesday, January 17th, 2024. At 5:00pm Kelly Allen, Executive Director, will introduce Sean O'Leary, Senior Policy Analyst, who will give a short analysis of the Governor's proposed budget. Guests can enjoy an…
Wheeling News-Register, Weirton Daily Times - West Virginia Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman sees an increased need to care for the state’s foster children in 2024. Read the full article. When the Legislature next convenes Jan. 10, one of the bills the Ohio County Republican hopes to propose would provide reimbursement funding to a family member…
Wheeling News-Register - School discipline, capital punishment for fentanyl pushers, funding for EMS and non-uniformed corrections staff, and data privacy are just some of the bills legislative leaders in West Virginia plan to push in the upcoming session next week. Read the full article. Legislative leaders in the West Virginia Senate and House of Delegates…
On January 17, 2024, senior policy analyst Sean O'Leary presented his short analysis of Governor Jim Justice's proposed FY 2025 budget. You can view the slides from his presentation here.