OpEds

June 22, 2020 by Kelly Allen
Kelly Allen: More Health Care, Not Less, Needed Amid Pandemic

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Around the country, states are seeing dramatic increases in Medicaid enrollment as furloughed workers and their dependents lose their job-based health insurance and turn to Medicaid for coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Read op-ed. Since March, West Virginia has seen an increase in Medicaid enrollment of approximately 24,000 people, but that is…

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June 11, 2020 by Ted Boettner
Ted Boettner: WV Needs Planning, More Federal Money to Stay Afloat

Charleston Gazette-Mail - While West Virginia has avoided major budget problems, so far, it is unlikely to continue as several billion dollars in federal aid dries up and the economic reality of the pandemic-induced recession continues to put downward pressure on state and local budgets. Link to op-ed here. Policymakers would be wise to take…

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April 29, 2020 by Seth DiStefano
Seth DiStefano: Classify Front-Line Workers Among Our First Responders

Beckley Register-Herald - Gov. Jim Justice needs to immediately classify grocery store, food processing and pharmacy workers who must work during this pandemic as first responders through Executive Order. Read op-ed. Being classified as an “essential” employee during the COVID-19 pandemic and response may guarantee you keep your paycheck, but it doesn’t keep you and…

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April 27, 2020 by Kelly Allen
COVID Economic Crisis Highlights Why We Should Be Wary of Longview PILOT Agreement

Morgantown Dominion Post - Over the past several months, the Monongalia County Commission has been negotiating a “payment in lieu of taxes” (PILOT) deal with Longview Power LLC to build a gas-fired power plant. PILOT agreements are property tax abatements where corporations agree to make annual payments to local governments instead of paying the property…

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March 27, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
Sean O’Leary: Financial Aid to WV Crucial During Coronavirus

Charleston Gazette-Mail - A crisis like the coronavirus outbreak creates an immense amount of pressure on state and local government finances. Demand for vital public services escalates just as the revenue to support those services takes a major downturn. Read op-ed. West Virginia is already in a tight budget situation, with resources stretched thin. Before…

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March 13, 2020 by WVCBP
COVID-19 Exposes Holes in Social Safety Net (Opinion)

Charleston Gazette-Mail - As of publication, no cases of COVID-19 have been identified in West Virginia, but it is very likely only a matter of time until our state’s residents are affected. Read op-ed. While the Governor’s Office and state agencies are taking this issue very seriously, this pandemic has revealed serious holes in our…

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March 11, 2020 by Kelly Allen
Kelly Allen: Paid Sick Leave is Good Health Care Policy

Beckley Register-Herald - Like many things, the coronavirus is exposing the disproportionate impacts that disease has on those with the least in our country. “Just stay home if you’re sick” is much easier said than done. Read op-ed. The ability to stay home when you are sick is heavily dependent on whether your employer offers…

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January 30, 2020 by WVCBP
Rick Wilson: Corporate Tax Cuts Get WV Nowhere (Opinion)

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Back in 2007, the West Virginia Legislature dramatically changed the state’s tax system, reducing business taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars per year. The package included phasing out the business franchise tax and reducing the corporate net income tax from 9 percent to 6.5 percent. Other cuts and credits would follow.…

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January 9, 2020 by Ted Boettner
Ted Boettner: Another Round of Corporate Tax Cuts Last Thing WV Needs

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Legislative leadership appears poised to pass yet another round of corporate tax cuts that will hurt working families, our schools and colleges, and push more money out-of-state to large corporations. It doesn’t have to be this way. Lawmakers could instead put their efforts toward investing in our communities, our health, our education, and…

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December 29, 2019 by Kelly Allen
Kelly Allen: Health Care Under Threat as ACA Battle Continues

Charleston Gazette-Mail - Earlier this month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals released a long-awaited ruling on Texas v. United States, a court case regarding the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). When the lawsuit was filed last year, it was roundly mocked as frivolous by legal experts on both sides of the political…

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