If Congress fails to act before December 31, the enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) that millions across the country depend on to afford their health insurance through the ACA Marketplace will expire, resulting in massive premium spikes and inaccessible care. For independent contractors, gig workers, self-employed West Virginians, and employees whose jobs do not offer health insurance, these enhanced PTCs are often the only path to affordable, reliable health care.
The WVCPB is inviting small business owners, nonprofit organizations, community groups, employees, and any worker or employer who relies on HealthCare.gov for health coverage to sign a letter urging West Virginia’s congressional delegation to extend the enhanced PTCs before they expire at the end of this year.
West Virginia workers are the backbone of our economy. Your voice can show Congress that affordable health care is essential to keeping our workforce strong, our small businesses competitive, and our communities thriving. Please complete this form by December 5 (end of day) to add your name and stand with us in protecting this vital support for West Virginia families.
Who Should Sign?
The Urgency:
If Congress fails to act before December 31, these enhanced credits will disappear overnight. This change would force tens of thousands of West Virginians to absorb steep premium hikes, placing enormous financial strain on working families and creating uncertainty for small businesses that depend on a healthy, stable workforce. In a state where many workers already live on tight budgets, losing these credits would threaten coverage and economic security.
Read the full letter and add your name here.
If you are not directly impacted by these changes but still want to stand with those who are and urge Congress to extend the enhanced premium tax credits, you can do so here.
Learn more about Marketplace open enrollment and what’s at stake for West Virginians in our recent explainer video from Rhonda here.
Over the summer, Congress passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1), which includes a temporary “no tax on tips” provision framed as helping low-wage workers, while the rest of the legislation provides huge, permanent tax cuts to the wealthy and makes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in history. In West Virginia, similar legislation to eliminate the state income tax on tips was introduced during the 2025 legislative session.
Out this week, our new policy brief details how raising the minimum wage would provide a larger benefit to a higher number of low-wage workers in West Virginia than implementing no tax on tips.
A no tax on tips policy would leave out the vast majority of low-wage workers who do not receive tips, and those workers often already work for lower wages than their tipped peers. There were an estimated 4 million workers in tipped occupations in 2023, representing 2.5 percent of all employment nationwide. That is the equivalent of just 17,050 workers in West Virginia.
Further, ending taxation of tips would likely expand employer use of tipped labor and undercut efforts to raise worker compensation. It would encourage employers in more industries to reclassify wage income as tips, effectively shifting their employment costs onto consumers by encouraging tipping and then cutting wages equivalently. New tipped workers would see their incomes become less stable and predictable, while consumers would face higher costs via increased tip requests. No tax on tips lets employers off the hook from paying their workers a fair wage while creating inequity in the tax system.
Raising the minimum wage would provide a much larger benefit to a significantly higher number and broader range of low-wage workers. The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 would raise the minimum wage to $17 per hour by 2030 and gradually eliminate the tipped minimum wage. Raising the minimum wage to $17 per hour would benefit 186,000 low-wage workers in West Virginia—over 27 percent of the workforce and ten times as many workers who would benefit from no tax on tips.
It is important to note that it has been a decade since West Virginia’s last minimum wage increase, and since then, the minimum wage has lost a concerning 22 percent of its value to inflation. Today’s state minimum wage is at its lowest inflation-adjusted point since 2008 and has lost so much of its value that it is unable to keep workers and their families out of poverty.
Raising the minimum wage would create a significantly larger benefit for West Virginia low-wage workers than exempting tips from the income tax. No tax on tips would cost the state up to $5 million, or in other words, the state’s tipped workers would receive a tax cut worth a total of $5 million. Meanwhile, increasing the minimum wage to $17 per hour by 2030 would increase wages for low-wage workers by a total of $73.7 million. On average, West Virginia workers benefiting from an increase in the minimum wage would see a 15 percent increase in their annual wages.
Raising the minimum wage would benefit a broad range of workers in West Virginia. While the misconception exists that many minimum wage earners are simply teenagers with entry-level jobs, the reality is that most beneficiaries of an increase in the minimum wage are adults, with many supporting their families.
By raising the minimum wage, West Virginia would help ensure there is a wage floor that provides for family well-being, something that no tax on tips falls far short of providing. If the state is sincerely committed to helping low-wage workers, the clear and simple solution is raising the minimum wage.
Read Sean’s full policy brief.
West Virginia’s SNAP agency announced last month that it was implementing the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” (BBB) expanded SNAP time limits and work reporting requirements as of November 1, putting 36,000 West Virginians at risk of losing their food assistance if they are unable to meet onerous new reporting requirements. These new rules mean that parents with children over age 13, older adults between ages 55 and 64, veterans, former foster youth, and people experiencing homelessness will only be eligible for SNAP for three months every three years unless they report adequate work hours or successfully qualify for an exemption from the requirements.
Available research, including here in West Virginia, shows that SNAP work reporting requirements fail to meaningfully increase employment but do result in increased food insecurity and economic instability, pushing more people to utilize already strained charitable food networks. When prior populations became subject to these requirements, food pantries in Cabell and Mingo counties saw demand increase dramatically.
For those who think they may be newly impacted by SNAP work reporting requirements, see the graphic below for a few steps you can take to better prepare.
Did you know almost 90 percent of children in the Mountain State attend public schools? But our current school funding system isn’t keeping up and it’s threatening our community schools.
It’s long past time to modernize the school funding formula.
Here’s what is at stake:
What needs to change?
Listen to Tamaya discuss the need to modernize the school funding formula in her recent interview here.
Learn more in Tamaya’s fact sheet here.
Following 10 years of Summer Policy Institute, we are excited to have launched our Fall Policy Institute this year!
Join us for our final “Lunch and Learn” workshop taking place today, Dec. 5 at 12pm. Today’s topic will be “The ‘Art’ of the Meeting and Panel.” You can register for the webinar here.
The WVCBP is excited to host the third annual Black Infant and Maternal Health Convening, a day of education, advocacy, and action focused on improving outcomes for Black mothers, birthing people, and infants across West Virginia.
You can register for the event here.
This year’s convening will begin with an overview of the state of infant and maternal health in West Virginia, highlighting key challenges, data, and stories from families and communities. Participants will also learn about policy priorities currently being advanced to improve maternal health, strengthen community supports, and ensure equitable access to care.
In the afternoon, attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with lawmakers through scheduled meetings and desk drops at the Capitol to share stories, data, and policy solutions.
We’ll close the day with a lawmaker reception at 5:30pm, focused on the importance of paid family and medical leave in supporting healthy pregnancies, births, and infant care in West Virginia.
Come learn, connect, and take action to ensure every family in the Mountain State has the support they need to thrive.
Please note, we will also be collecting diapers of all sizes and baby wipes at the convening to distribute to families and community organizations in need across southern West Virginia. Your donation will help support parents and caregivers who are working hard to give their babies the best possible start in life.
The WVCBP is excited to invite you to our annual Budget and Bites mixer and happy hour! Each year we gather to network, learn from each other, and share the Center’s analysis of the governor’s proposed budget.
It’s no secret that the state budget impacts every area of life. We want the West Virginia budget to work for West Virginians. We welcome you to join us and share in our vision for a more thriving Mountain State.
The event will be hosted at the WV School Service Personnel Association Conference Center on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 from 4:30-6:00pm.
At 5:00pm Kelly Allen, executive director, will introduce Sean O’Leary, senior policy analyst, who will provide a brief analysis of the governor’s proposed budget. Guests can enjoy an informal meet and greet with our team following the presentation. Appetizers and drinks will be provided.
You can purchase your ticket for the event here and submit a sponsorship form here. Please note, RSVP is required.
Black Policy Day was established by Crystal Good (Black By God), Katonya Hart (Partnerships for the Arts & Education), and Dr. Shanequa Smith (WV Black Voter Impact Initiative) who shared a vision of creating space for historically oppressed and ignored groups to amplify their stories and participate in the policymaking process.
This free event welcomes all to visit the Capitol to engage with their state leaders, discuss the issues that are most impacting Black and minority communities, and learn how to take action to make impacts in their communities.
Throughout the day, there will be opportunities to engage in meetings with lawmakers, space for vendors and tabling opportunities, youth activities, and much more. Information about current opportunities and resources will be provided. The afternoon will include a youth-centered lunch event with accompanying activities. Child care is available all day.
Learn more, register for free, or make a donation to the event here.
Do you have questions about how recent federal funding changes will impact health care access and your community?
The WVCBP is here to help. We are offering to host community conversations for concerned community members to:
If you are interested, please fill out this form and we will be in contact with you about scheduling a community meeting near you!
