Latest news with #WestVirginiaCenteronBudgetandPolicy
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New report: WV education outcomes still nearly last in country, fewer kids attending preschool
Inside a Kanawha County elementary classroom in West Virginia. (Lexi Browning | West Virginia Watch) West Virginia's ranking for child well-being has made slight improvements, but the state is still struggling with students meeting basic academic benchmarks. The new Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation said that in 2024, 75% of West Virginia's fourth graders were not proficient in reading, and 82% of the state's eighth graders were not proficient in math. The annual report assesses childhood well-being in every state. The data showed that, nationally, students are struggling with reading and math since the COVID-19 pandemic's interruptions to learning. Plus, chronic absenteeism has become a major challenge. West Virginia ranks 45th in education, according to the report that was released earlier this week. 'State lawmakers have spent the last few years focusing on really a small sliver of the population by passing policies related to private school and home school,' said Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, which is West Virginia's member of the Casey Foundation's Kids Count network. 'We're always going to see most of our kids [receive] their education through public schools. So if we really want to boost these outcomes in education, we have to focus our efforts on where kids are, in our public school system,' she continued. Additionally, the number of children attending early childhood education programs worsened. Around 70% of West Virginia children ages three and four are not enrolled in school pre-school or child care, which is the second-worst rate in the country. The state is woefully short in child care programs, which Allen said has played a part in the decline of students attending preschool. 'Whether it's Head Start or pre-K or child care — and those are areas where we have seen backsliding or lack of investment from the state level — and we know early childhood education is so formative for children's future,' she said, adding that the state is spending less on child care than it did before the pandemic. West Virginia moved to 41st in child well-being — up from 44th last year. In 2023, 20% of West Virginia's kids lived in poverty, an improvement over the previous year's rate of 25%. The state is third best in the country for health insurance coverage, and only 3% of kids are uninsured. Many West Virginia children use the state's Medicaid Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, but potential federal cuts and changes to Medicaid could threaten that coverage. 'Children with health insurance are more likely to have a regular source of health care they can access for preventive services, developmental screenings and treatment for physical or mental health needs,' the report said. However, nearly 10% of babies were low birth weight, placing the state at 45th in that category. Low birth weight is a leading cause of infant death in the United States, and these babies have a higher probability of developmental problems and disabilities. The share of U.S. infants with a low birth weight has steadily worsened for more than 30 years, the report said, and the rate remains higher than most other peer nations. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As if gutting Medicaid wasn't enough…
The Affordable Care Act protects 737,900 West Virginians with pre-existing conditions from being charged more or denied coverage by insurance companies. (Getty Images) Republicans in Congress aren't satisfied with just slashing Medicaid, so they are now looking at using reconciliation to repeal large swaths of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to pay for tax breaks for billionaires, big corporations and campaign donors. These days, everyone has heard of 'Obamacare,' the landmark 2010 law that for the first-time created consumer protections like no discrimination based on pre-existing conditions and gender, and no annual or lifetime caps on coverage. The Affordable Care Act turned 15 earlier this year and, despite a rocky start and endless 'Repeal and Replace' attacks from Republican opponents in Congress and President Donald Trump, it has persisted and is more popular than ever. While the march towards quality, affordable health care for all remains a long one, the political battle to pass the ACA by the narrowest of margins was huge, and we now face another huge fight to maintain the gains we've made in healthcare access and equity so that progress isn't lost. Under the current administration and Republican-controlled Congress, the ACA, including Medicaid coverage, are at risk once again. Congress is marking up its long-awaited committee bills to achieve the $1.5 trillion in spending cuts outlined in April's budget resolution to hand out tax breaks to billionaires, big corporations, and campaign donors. The budget resolution outlines significant cuts to Medicaid, squarely threatening Medicaid expansion which covers more than 160,000 West Virginians. Among the included provisions are harsh work reporting requirements for adults between the ages of 19 and 64, increased paperwork and red tape for all expansion enrollees, and increased cost sharing and co-pays for some adults. A recent report by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy estimates that roughly 40,000 West Virginians would lose their health care coverage as a result, including more than 23,000 residents in Congresswoman Carol Miller's district and 17,000 in Congressman Riley Moore's. In addition, these coverage losses would result in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding that currently goes to hospitals and providers in West Virginia. As a result, thousands of jobs in the state would be lost and rural providers have warned that hospitals operating on the margins would be at risk of closure. Also, this resolution does not extend the enhanced premium tax credits that have helped more people get affordable coverage since 2022. More than 50,000 West Virginians get their health coverage through the Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplace, with over 95% receiving a tax credit subsidy to help make their monthly premiums more affordable. As part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and then the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Congress increased the amount of financial assistance available to families who get their health coverage through the ACA marketplace. In West Virginia, this resulted in marketplace enrollment more than doubling. West Virginia residents saw the most benefit from the increased ACA subsidies, as our state has the highest health care costs in the country. If allowed to expire at the end of the year, the 50,000 residents who get their health coverage through the Marketplace would see their monthly premiums increase by 140 percent. We've been down this road before. Taken together, the renewed Republican effort to repeal key parts of the ACA will threaten coverage for upwards of 25 million Americans, and that doesn't include coverage losses resulting from their attacks on Medicaid. These policies are highly unpopular — even among Republican voters. If Republicans get their way, costs will go up, hardworking families will lose their coverage, and the entire health care system will be thrown into chaos. This means that Republicans, after promising to lower prices and improve the economy for working Americans, are set to do the very opposite: take food and health care away from working class families to make the richest people even richer. It's up to us to stop them. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Morrisey formally requests WV's food stamp program no longer pay for soda
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced in a video message on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, that he has formally asked the federal government to disallow the state's SNAP program from paying for soda. (West Virginia Office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey video screenshot) West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has formally asked the federal government to disallow the state's food assistance program from paying for soda. Morrisey submitted a request for a waiver to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to make the change, the governor announced in a video message Tuesday. 'For a long time I've talked about the fact that SNAP — the N should stand for nutrition,' Morrisey said. 'Well, now it's going to, even more than you've seen in the past. We're promoting healthy bundles. That's fresh produce and lean meat, and good opportunities for some hot foods for West Virginians for some products that you've never been able to have before.' Morrisey first announced the SNAP proposal during an event in March with federal Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promoted the idea of states prohibiting SNAP from covering soda. The SNAP changes are part of a statewide health initiative Morrisey called the 'Four Pillars of a Healthy West Virginia.' Other pillars included prohibiting the sale of certain food dyes in the state, and the 'Mountaineer Mile,' challenge to walk at least a mile a day. Legislation similar to the SNAP change was introduced during the 2025 regular session, but went nowhere. House Bill 2350 would have required the state to submit a SNAP waiver so that the program could disallow coverage of soda and candy. Opponents of the bill expressed concerns it would hurt local grocery stores, particularly near the state border, by causing SNAP recipients to use their assistance to buy the sweets in stores across state lines. One in six West Virginians, or approximately 277,000 residents, rely on the SNAP program for food assistance, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. The program is paid for by the federal government's Department of Agriculture and administered through the state. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
WV Senate passes bill that would expand work, training requirements for SNAP
Sen. Rollan Roberts, R- Raleigh, lead sponsor of Senate Bill 249, addresses the Senate during the session Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Charleston, (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography) The West Virginia Senate has approved a bill that would expand the work and training requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called food stamps. Senators approved Senate Bill 249 with no discussion and a vote of 32 to 2. With some exceptions, able-bodied people without dependents ages 18 to 54 are required to work or train in order to receive SNAP benefits. The bill would expand the age to 59 by requiring the Department of Human Services to assign people in that age range to a mandatory work or training program. Under the bill, exemptions include caring for a child under age 6 or an incapacitated adult, going to school at least part time, being employed at least 30 hours a week and participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program, among other things. The bill would allow the state Department of Human Services to exempt up to 20% of individuals from the SNAP Employment and Training program work based on challenges that the person would experience complying with the requirements. According to a fiscal note from the Department of Human Services, the agency estimates the cost of implementing the legislation would be $2.7 million in state funding for fiscal year 2026 and about $1.7 million per year in state funding when the bill is fully implemented. Those costs include hiring one new family support supervisor in each county office to oversee the program. The department warns that the implementation of a program based on this bill might lead to a higher error rate for SNAP, which could lead to the state having to pay back federal funding. 'Other states implementing mandatory E&T programs have seen drastic increases in their SNAP error rates,' the department wrote. 'Error rates above the national average for two consecutive years place a state at risk of federal financial sanctions requiring potential repayment of federal funding. While West Virginia's error rates are currently compliant, the administrative complexity of implementing new eligibility criteria under a mandatory program does expose the state to significant risk of repayment.' Rhonda Rogombe, health and safety new policy analyst for the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, called the bill harmful. 'We know from lots of studies, including some of our own, that mandating work reporting requirements disconnects people from access to food but does not connect them to work,' she said Wednesday. 'So we have lots of concerns about this bill.' The bill would also impact retailers that rely on SNAP and put pressure on the state's food banks as they fill in the gaps, she said. Jeremiah Samples, the former deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources and now a lobbyist for the right-leaning organization Opportunity Solutions Project, previously testified in support of the bill, saying it gives people both the expectation and resources to work. The legislation has been opposed by representatives of the state's charitable food network. Caitlin Cook, director of advocacy and public policy for Mountaineer Food Bank, told West Virginia Watch previously that in other states, mandatory education and training programs have increased food insecurity. The Senate passed the legislation during the 2024 legislative session, but the House did not adopt it. The bill will next go to the House of Delegates for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How would dismantling the Department of Education affect West Virginia schools?
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — On Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order to 'facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.' The Trump administration argues that the Department of Education is ineffective, saying that since its inception the Department of Education has spent $3 trillion without improving students' standardized test scores. How will the dismantling of the Department of Education affect West Virginia? Education Policy Fellow Tamaya Browder, of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, wrote a brief looking into that question. Browder spoke to 12 News and pointed out that the Department of Education plays a number of roles in the country, including providing funding to meet the needs of students with disabilities, protecting civil rights of students such as with Title IX, and funding low-income Title I schools. In her brief, Browder wrote that when looking at pre-pandemic funding, federal money accounted for $384 million, or about one in ten dollars in West Virginia schools. The brief also says federal money accounted for about one in five dollars in West Virginia schools in 2022 with the difference being due to pandemic era funding. What foods would go away if West Virginia bans certain food dye? While the recent executive order largely cuts down on the Department of Education, the decision to completely abolish the department will need approval by Congress. As the federal government's footprint in education is set to shrink, the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy argues that other factors will also decrease the level of funding towards education in the state, and that these factors must be considered. 'Our school districts are already dealing with some difficult decisions due to losing funds to the Hope Scholarship, declining state revenues, and reduced resources due to the expiring pandemic era relief funding,' Browder said. 'We do need to invest in our public education system, especially in West Virginia, to ensure our children are prepared for the future.' Trump officials say that the executive order will not affect the distribution of Title I funds and resources for students with disabilities. Some have proposed moving key functions of the Department of Education to other parts of the government, such as moving the enforcement of student civil rights to the Department of Justice. Furthermore, a House Bill proposed in January proposes moving the administration of federal student loans — another key responsibility of the Department of Education — to the Treasury Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
