FY 2014 Budget UpdateOn April 17, 2013, the West Virginia legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2014 budget. Only minor changes were made to Governor Tomblin’s $11.3 billion proposal, which was introduced at the start of the legislative session, with the final budget only $2.0 million smaller than the governor’s proposal, a reduction of 0.02 percent.
Child Poverty in West Virginia: A Growing and Persistent ProblemOn 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 specifically, on the children of West Virginia. Read PDF of report
Analysis of Governor’s FY 2014 Budget Proposal: Declining Revenue Hurting StateOn February 13, 2014, Governor Tomblin released his FY 2014 budget, setting the state’s priorities for the coming year. While West Virginia avoided the major budget problems that plagued many other states during the recession and its aftermath, recent events have finally caught up to the state’s budget, and many programs and agencies will see large cuts in FY 2014. After avoiding budget cuts for several years, Governor Tomblin called on state agencies to cut spending by more than $75 million in the FY 2014 base budget. Read PDF of report.
West Virginia Photo Voter ID Law: An Expensive Solution Looking For a ProblemIn 2012, SB 532/HB 4387 was introduced requiring all West Virginia voters to present official government-issued photo identification in order to vote. The Voter ID law was reintroduced for the 2013 legislative session (SB 13/HB 2215). Based on national data and the experiences of other states, it is estimated that the implementation costs of a Voter ID law in West Virginia could top $5 million over five years. Read PDF here. |
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Recent PublicationsFY 2014 Budget UpdateApril 29, 2013On April 17, 2013, the West Virginia legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2014 budget. Only minor changes were made to Governor Tomblin’s $11.3 billion proposal, which was introduced at the start of the legislative session, with the final budget only $2.0 million smaller than the governor’s proposal, a reduction of 0.02 percent.… Using Data for Racial Equity in West VirginiaApril 26, 2013Executive Director Ted Boettner presented at the American Healing Conference on April 24, 2013. Read his presentation on using data in racial equity here.… How Do House and Senate Budget Proposals Differ from the Governor’s Bill?April 16, 2013Later this week, the West Virginia Legislature will vote on the FY 2014 state budget. However, both the House and the Senate have their own budget bill, as well as the budget bill proposed by Governor Tomblin at the beginning of the legislative session. These three budgets must be reconciled into one bill before the budget can be approved. Read PDF of report. Link to budget data. More Publications |
Latest Blog PostsMeet Our Newest StaffMay 24, 2013Budget Beat for May 24, 2013 Medicaid Expansion Could Net West Virginia Millions — Lessons From KentuckyMay 23, 2013Earlier this month, Kentucky announced it would be joining West Virginia and 19 other states in expanding Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. Kentucky, however, had stronger evidence to support its decision than West Virginia. While West Virginia estimated expansion would cost the state around $375 million over the first 10 years, Kentucky looked not only at the costs but also the savings and increased tax revenue from Medicaid expansion and found it would save the state $802 million over eight years (Figure 1).… Gestamp Property Tax Deal Worth $25 millionMay 23, 2013Last week, the West Virginia Economic Development Authority authorized $150 million in bonds that will be used to purchase equipment for the Gestamp stamping plant in South Charleston over the next five years.… Visit our Blog |
Op-Eds and PresentationsUsing Data for Racial Equity in West VirginiaApril 26, 2013Ted Boettner and Sean O’Leary: The Power of the Purse Shouldn’t Belong to One PersonApril 15, 2013The Rev. Dennis Sparks: Moral Answer to Budget Crisis: Rich Much Pay Their ShareMarch 28, 2013 More Op-Eds and Presentations |
WVCBP in the NewsGestamp Plant Gets $150M in Development Authority BondsMay 21, 2013Region’s Coal Industry Faces Huge Drop, Report SaysMay 15, 2013Officials React to Medicaid ExpansionMay 2, 2013 More WVCBP in the News |





