The West Virginia Senate votes today on a bill to drug test welfare recipients. SB 6 would create a three-year pilot project to drug test TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Last year, a similar bill stalled in the Senate Finance Committee, never making it to the floor.The bill's sponsor, Senator Ryan Ferns, describes the…
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A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analyzes data about which businesses actually create jobs and where they create them. The conclusions from the analysis contain useful information for states, like West Virginia, looking to create jobs and grow their economy. While West Virginia recently underwent a significant tax reform, and is looking…
The West Virginia Legislature is poised to enact a so-called right-to-work (RTW) law this week. The House of Delegates is taking up an amended version of the "WV Workplace Freedom Act" this afternoon. The law would prohibit unions and employers from negotiating a contract that requires employees who benefit from union representation to pay for…
"Right to Work" Debated in Public HearingSo-called "Right to Work" legislation remains on the fast track having already passed the full Senate and the House Judiciary committee. It will likely be taken up by the full House on Monday.This week the House held a public hearing on the controversial bill. Here's more in the Charleston…
The West Virginia Coal Association announced it intends to push for a cut in the state's coal severance tax rate, from its current rate of 5% to 2%, as an attempt to jumpstart the state's ailing coal industry. This is the latest in a series of attempts to give coal a tax break under the…
So-Called "Right to Work" Bill is First of the 2016 Legislative SessionThe very first Senate Bill introduced this year would make West Virginia the next so-called "Right to Work" state. As they deliberate the legislation, West Virginia legislators are relying on a flawed analysis from WVU's College of Business and Economics according to a report…
Back in November, the Business Bureau of Economic Research at West Virginia University released a study by John Deskins that concluded that the adoption of a "Right-to-Work" (RTW) law in West Virginia would boost employment and GDP growth, have no discernible impact on wages, and reduce unionization rates.The problem with the WVU study - and…
As of January 1, the West Virginia Department of Human Resources (DHHR) has added a so-called work requirement to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under the policy, adults aged 18 to 50 with no dependent children must participate in a work or educational activity for a monthly average of 20 hours per week in order to…
Please join financial education practitioners, researchers and stakeholders to learn more about the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This event is designed to promote a better understanding of the state EITC and the importance of financial inclusion by featuring top researchers and policy experts who can share best practices with the group. Register today!…
Today Congress passed legislation to fund the federal government for the rest of this fiscal year including making key provisions to the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) permanent. Yesterday the bill was approved by the House of Representatives with all three of West Virginia's members voting yes. Today the…