When Anthony[1] was arrested in 2020, he sat at the police station for hours before a man came over the station telephone and told him, “We’re going to set your bond at $25,000 cash.” The man on the phone was a magistrate conducting Anthony’s “first appearance” hearing. At this hearing, a magistrate explains the criminal…
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The real-life consequences of repeatedly enacting flat state budgets are becoming clear across West Virginia in the form of state agency staffing shortages. Just this month, West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) officials warned of record teacher vacancies in the state’s public schools, and Governor Justice declared a state of emergency in the state’s correctional facilities…
Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act and the House is expected to quickly follow. This new legislation marks the most significant national climate bill ever passed, while also improving access to affordable health care, creating jobs in manufacturing and clean energy, and putting downward pressure on the inflation and rising…
This week, Governor Justice called for a special session to consider yet another attempt to cut the state's income tax. Like previous failed attempts over the past few years, this latest plan would lead to major revenue losses for the state, while giving most of the tax cut to wealthy West Virginians. The personal income…
While it has been nearly two and a half years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, women have still yet to return to their pre-pandemic employment levels, down 900,000 jobs in June 2022 compared with February 2020. Over the same period, men have reached and now exceeded their pre-pandemic employment levels. Women also saw larger total…
West Virginia ended Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 with revenues coming in at $1.3 billion above estimates. And while that surplus is largely a mirage built on low revenue estimates, unexpectedly high energy prices, and unprecedented amounts of federal aid and budget support, it does present an opportunity to make much-needed investments in the people of…
In the spring of 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to address the ongoing economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to historic reductions in child poverty through the expanded Child Tax Credit, ARPA’s Fiscal Recovery Funds to states and localities were among the most impactful parts of the…
With Roe v. Wade expected to be overturned in the coming weeks, abortion is likely to become even more restricted or altogether banned in West Virginia. Indeed, the fall of Roe will create a stark patchwork of abortion legality and access in states across the country. This will exacerbate scenarios wherein people with means will…
Earlier this week, the West Virginia Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance heard from a West Virginia Association of Counties official about the significant potential fiscal impact of the Property Tax Modernization Amendment. If passed, the amendment – which will be on the ballot this November for voters to consider – would lead to the fulfillment…
Housing insecurity has been a particularly insidious aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent recession as households’ collective ability to contain the illness relies on their ability to isolate themselves at home. There are several additional factors to consider here, but at its core, the question remains: if you are facing eviction or foreclosure, where…