Crypto Roads, Take Me Home: Three Policies for a Cryptocurrency Friendly West Virginia The Future of Cryptocurrency and West Virginia Whether it is Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any of the other countless blockchain tokens available today, one thing is clear: cryptocurrency is here to stay. However, many states have not prepared for this reality. Thus they…

State Occupational Licensing Index Recently, our friends from the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation in partnership with the Archbridge Institute released their new State Occupational Licensing Index (SOLI). This publication builds on previously published indices by Cato Institute and the Institute for Justice by expanding the scope of inquiry from strictly licenses…

A Look at Opportunity in Cities in the Nation's Third Most Rural State When one thinks of West Virginia, many things are likely to come to mind: natural beauty, John Denver, coal, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, poverty, opioids, state pride, and so on down the line. What isn’t likely to make a top ten list…

How Education Bills Fared During Legislative Session The 86th Session of the West Virginia State Legislature adjourned Sine Die at 11:49 pm EST  on March 11, 2023. This session was historic for a variety of reasons, especially related to K-12 Education. In February, the Cardinal Institute published a blog post highlighting our Top Five Education…

West Virginia Employment Is Languishing Our unemployment rate of 4.9% is going down, but it’s still higher than our Appalachian neighbors. Our labor force participation rate is growing, but it’s still the lowest in the nation. While we’ve put in the hard work to achieve education reform and tax reform, there’s more we can do…

Keep Your Paycheck Every year, shortly after January 1st, you go into work. After a week or two, you receive that year’s first paycheck. Much to your dismay, the list of taxes begin to pile up: federal, state, payroll. Each eating away at the money you earned. Each eating away at the things you’d otherwise…

What is a certificate of need? Certificate of Need (CON) laws are regulatory impediments instituted in thirty-five states requiring many health care providers to receive authorization from the state's health regulatory board in order to open a new, or expand, an existing health facility. CON is unlike some health regulations which ensure facilities meet quality…

West Virginia Tax Plan Includes Elimination of the Marriage Penalty The new income tax cut plan unveiled and then quickly passed by the West Virginia State Senate involves a number of changes to the state’s tax code. One change that was highly touted in the senate press conference was addressing what’s known as the “marriage…

West Virginia Should Reinstate the Standard Deduction Did you know that West Virginia’s tax filings don’t have a standard deduction? Reinstating it as part of West Virginia’s income taxes could be a step in the right direction to provide for smart, simplified tax policy for Mountaineers. What is the standard deduction? A standard deduction is…

Keep the Receipt for Tax Rebates Ballot Measures Defeated in West Virginia On November 8, 2022, West Virginia’s voters headed to the ballot to vote. Before them were many voting options, not only on many of the state’s elected leaders, but, in unusual fashion for West Virginia, on several ballot initiatives. These initiatives covered everything…