Earlier this month, the West Virginia Senate passed two bills that would drastically change the state's unemployment insurance system and will now be considered in the House of Delegates. SB 2 would reduce the number of weeks a worker can collect unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to as few as 12 weeks. SB 3 would…
Economy
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Beckley Register-Herald - Legislators have been told that West Virginia’s economic recovery has been strong. The inference is that normality is around the corner and almost back. The serious question is whether “back to normal” is adequate. Read the full op-ed. There are several matters of concern. First, there is the workforce participation…
Beckley Register-Herald - State legislators, past and present, who have voted to undercut support of public education should be embarrassed. Public funding for our colleges and universities in West Virginia has been trimmed consistently over the past decade just as both the state’s students and its economy have needed a hand up. Read the full…
The Dominion Post, Yahoo News - Feb. 10—We're running our weekly roundup a little early this week, and we'll mostly be focusing on the "good " and the "stupid " today. The "bad " will come tomorrow. Without further ado, let's take a look at what the Legislature has been up to. Read the full…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - The West Virginia Senate passed two bills significantly altering the state’s unemployment system in a contested vote on Tuesday. Republican lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 3, which would place new requirements on job-seekers, on a party-line vote. Senate Bill 2, which would cut the state’s paid unemployment benefits from 26 to 12 weeks,…
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Huntington Herald Dispatch - The West Virginia House Finance Committee passed a personal income tax repeal phase-out bill in about three minutes Monday, but the legislation still faces an uphill fight. Read the full article. With no discussion or questions asked of counsel, committee members passed House Bill 4007, which first would implement…
WVNSTV - West Virginia lawmakers are considering bills that could drastically change unemployment benefits in the state. Read the full article. Supporters of the idea, say they’re just trying to get more people back to work. A lot of the unemployment concerns stem from the impact of COVID-19. Some businesses were hit hard in the…
West Virginia MetroNews - The state Senate is on the verge of passing two bills that would make major changes to the unemployment safety net in West Virginia. Read the full article. Senate President Craig Blair feels so strongly about the bills that he came down from his usual spot presiding over the chamber today…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - The state Senate is poised to slash unemployment benefits and tighten the process for people to prove they’re seeking work at a time when West Virginia’s unemployment rate is at a record low. Senate Bill 2 would cut the state’s paid unemployment benefits from 26 to 12 weeks, based on the current…
Since the state legislative session began last month, much attention has been focused on the high number of job openings in West Virginia. Two bills that are rapidly moving through the Senate (SB 2 and SB 3) would drastically cut unemployment insurance benefits for displaced workers in the name of “getting people back to work,”…