Who do you think would be most affected by an increase in the minimum wage? It might not be who you were thinking.
Sean explains how an increase in the minimum wage would benefit not only West Virginia workers but the state’s economy as well here. For much more on what increasing the minimum wage could do for the state’s workers, check out this issue brief.
West Virginians used to have more higher quality jobs available from manufacturers like Weirton Steel. As those jobs were lost, they were replaced with low-paying retail positions, like at Wal-Mart, the state’s largest employer. Read this great oped from Rick Wilson which explains how we could change this reality.
As West Virginia policymakers decide on ways to pay for transportation costs, should they look to Virginia for possible solutions? Read more in Ted’s blog post for reasons why Virginia’s plan might not be ideal for the Mountain State and how shifting the costs to those who use the roads makes sense.
Last week we told you how West Virginia leads the nation in prescription drug overdose deaths. Now a new study shows that West Virginia doctors write more prescriptions than those in other parts of the country for seniors using Medicare Part D. And evidence suggests that this is true for other parts of the population. Read more in Brandon’s blog post on West Virginia’s place in the Prescription Belt.
As West Virginia residents continue to enroll for health care through the state’s Marketplace, there are some who work for one of the state’s largest employers who might be losing their coverage. Read more in this Charleston Gazette article on how CAMC plans to cut health care benefits for its part-time workers.
Even though the government shutdown has finally ended, the expensive ripple effects are likely to be felt for some time. Read more in Alyson’s blog post on how the federal shutdown affected West Virginia right down to the community level.
