Licensing and Justice Occupational licensing is a criminal justice issue. Aggressive legal strategies have left many individuals incarcerated. Once they've served their time, they attempt to re-enter the workforce. Regardless of any changes an individual has made in their personal life, occupational licensing often prevents them from finding work. Even minor felonies and some misdemeanors…

COVID Hit Restaurants Hard 2020 was a year full of struggle for every American. Job losses, constant worries about health and wealth, and isolation generally made this year one we all want to forget. But while we are doing that, we should make sure that we don’t forget our hospitality industry, especially restaurants, with it.  Confusion and panic are not good strategies for…

West Virginia just made history by passing the broadest school choice program in the nation – the Hope Scholarship program. Time will be the judge of our grand experiment. However, one thing already needs to be cleared up about this program. It’s not a voucher.   Is the Hope Scholarship a Voucher? The Hope Scholarship…

On this blog we've written about occupational licensing reform before. For workers to freely pursue happiness, we need to reduce the red tape that stands in their way. Over the next few weeks, we'll discuss a few options to remove those barriers to work. Today, I'd like to briefly discuss universal occupational licensing recognition.  …

Our inflated healthcare costs are one of the biggest flaws of our current system. Wherever one looks, barriers to competition, innovation, and diversification exist. Telemedicine, via its easy and low-cost operation, can help solve these problems. Sadly, too many barriers exist to this easy solution.   What is Telemedicine? Telemedicine refers to the act of…

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a challenging era for education. Public schools have adapted curriculum to an at-home learning environment, and some private schools have closed their doors permanently. Many parents have responded by considering new options for their students - learning pods. Undoubtedly, this has changed the landscape of education in America.…

Although a legislative win sometimes feels instantaneous, the immense amount of work behind it is seldom seen. Whether it is an Olympic sprinter crossing the finish line or a bill passing the legislature, the effort required often lies in darkness. It never makes newspaper headlines. Hours upon hours of unrecognized, unknown grit is necessary to make miracles happen.       What a…

On March 11th, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion relief plan. Known as the American Rescue Plan, this Act intended to help the American economy recover from the year-long coronavirus pandemic. The most discussed parts of the program are the individual stimulus checks and expansion of the Child Tax Credit. The Act also includes…

Wasteful Spending: A Trade Secret   In 2017, an investigation was launched into the West Virginia Supreme Court for overzealous spending. 2009 sparked a renovation initiative for the Court with a price tag of roughly $876,000. But, by 2017, the expenses ballooned to $3.7 billion. Most notable of the excessive expenditures were the $32,000 sectional…

Florida has a beach, beautiful weather, and, most importantly, Disney World. Who wouldn’t want to move to the Sunshine State?   This seems to be a wildly popular argument for those opposed to elimination of the personal income tax (PIT), using Florida as an example that growth is not from taxes. However, this couldn’t be…