Economy

January 21, 2022 by Kelly Allen
Sales Tax Cut Could Spend Revenue WV Doesn’t Have

Charleston Gazette-Mail - West Virginia is one of many states set to use revenue surpluses brought by federal relief money for tax cuts. Read the full article. After lawmakers last week near-unanimously approved $350 million in subsidies for the Mason County Nucor steel recycling plant project and further capital improvements, Democrats on Tuesday announced that…

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January 21, 2022 by Sean O'Leary
W.Va. Economists Talk Jobs, Workforce Participation And Nucor

West Virginia Public Broadcasting - This week on The Legislature Today, West Virginians weigh in on a controversial piece of legislation. As health reporter June Leffler reports, pro-life and pro-choice residents spoke on two abortion bills at a public hearing Monday in front of state lawmakers. Listen to the full segment. Also, in this show, energy…

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January 19, 2022 by WVCBP
WVCBP’s 9th Annual Budget Breakfast to Take Place this Friday, January 21

Media Advisory: January 19, 2022Contact: Renee Alves, 304-720-8682 Charleston, WV – As the 2022 legislative session gets underway, the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy would like to invite you to join us at our 9th annual Budget Breakfast, taking place this Friday, January 21 at 8:00am EST. Each year, the WVCBP holds this event to provide…

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January 12, 2022 by WVCBP
Lawmakers Promised to Help West Virginia’s Coalfield Communities. As the Session Begins, Their Plan for Doing So Remains Unclear

Mountain State Spotlight - Last summer, House of Delegates leaders from both parties announced a key new panel of lawmakers they promised was “dedicated to developing proposals to help revitalize West Virginia’s communities.” Read the full article. The group traveled the state, hosting meetings and asking residents for ideas on how to help communities struggling from the…

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January 11, 2022 by Sean O'Leary
WV Has a Long History of Failed Economic Giveaways. Lawmakers Just Rushed Through Another Deal Worth a Billion Dollars

Mountain State Spotlight - On Tuesday, West Virginia lawmakers were set to hear testimony about an area where the state could be leading the way on economic policy: Elimination of special tax break deals targeted to land specific new development projects. Read the full article. George Mason University researcher Michael Farren was the key witness. He was…

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January 8, 2022 by Sean O'Leary
Statehouse Beat: Justice’s Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Mark Twain popularized the phrase, “Lies, damn lies and statistics,” and that saying came to mind last week reading news accounts about a small net positive migration of new residents into the state during fiscal 2020-21. Read the full article. First cited by the director of a state right-wing think tank (right-wing…

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January 7, 2022 by Sean O'Leary
As Leaders Eye Changes to the State’s Unemployment System, There’s Lots of Potential to Hurt West Virginians

Mountain State Spotlight, Beckley Register-Herald, My Buckhannon - When the pandemic hit West Virginia in the spring of 2020, the symptoms were immediate, even before cases and deaths were close to their peak: Shutdowns and public health concerns forced thousands of state residents out of their jobs. Read the full article. Continued unemployment claims skyrocketed from…

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January 6, 2022 by Sean O'Leary
Checking in on West Virginia’s Economy as 2022 Arrives

West Virginia's economy continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly two years after impacts were first felt in the state. After historic job losses in the spring of 2020, the state underwent a steep, but partial recovery in the summer. However, growth has been sluggish in recent months, and a substantial jobs gap…

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