Healthcare in West Virginia Healthcare policy is complicated. These resources make it understandable. If you are trying to make sense of West Virginia’s latest healthcare debates, you are not alone. PBM regulation, PEIA’s recurring funding crises, and Certificate of Need laws all affect what care costs, where it is available, and who has choices. We…

2026 State of the State Response On Wednesday evening, Governor Patrick Morrisey delivered his annual State of the State address, outlining his priorities for the year ahead and offering a window into his governing philosophy. As is customary, the speech functioned as both pep rally and agenda-setting exercise. State of the state addresses tend to…

A Conversation with Charles Mitchell David and Laura Thayer Visiting Fellow, Cardinal Institute Editor’s Note: The Cardinal Institute is pleased to announce that Charles Mitchell, former CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, has joined Cardinal as the David B. and Laura Thayer Visiting Fellow. Charles brings decades of national leadership experience in the conservative, free-market think…

One Big Beautiful Bill is One Big Beautiful Opportunity to Reconnect West Virginians with Stable Work On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the latest congressional reconciliation package, known colloquially as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), a sweeping package of federal budget measures including extension of the 2017 tax cuts, spending cuts and…

West Virginia’s Certificate of Need Laws Are Failing You The West Virginia Hospital Association’s recent op-ed defending West Virginia’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws is a masterclass in elite protectionism, dressed in concern, framed as a noble stand for community health. Make no mistake—the heart of the piece is about hospital bottom lines rather than how…

Colleges Must Educate for Freedom A great American college or university will prepare students for self-governance as both a wise human being and a prudent, productive citizen. Rightly understood, the liberal arts are the intellectual potentials shared by the leaders of a free people. That is, education policy should consider, first of all, how to…

There’s momentum building in West Virginia for a historic reform that would benefit all public school stakeholders—students, parents, teachers, and others. In his recent State of the State Address, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey took aim at the state’s K-12 funding system. “This year, I will be asking the Legislature to work with me to…

Top-Down Healthcare: The Dangers of CON and Centralized Planning In 1968, Marina was a young gymnast in the Ukrainian republic of the former Soviet Union. As is common in that sport, she sustained an ankle injury. Anyone who has a twisted ankle knows that there’s a fifty-fifty chance it’s either sprained or broken, and the…

Universal Licensing Recognition and Why West Virginia Needs It What is occupational licensing? Fundamentally, an occupational license is a permission slip from the government to work. About 1 out of 5 workers in the United States require an occupational license to practice in their given profession. For those occupations requiring a license, performing such work…

Governor Morrisey’s 2025 State of the State Address: An Analysis On the evening of Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivered his first State of the State address. An annual tradition, the address is largely intended to set the tone for the upcoming legislative session and present the governing agenda for the year. One-half…