Reflections on the 2023 State of the State Address January 11th, 2023 West Virginia State of the State Address On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, slightly past 7pm, Gov. Jim Justice delivered what was, perhaps, the most optimistic and upbeat State of the State Address of the seven he has delivered during his tenure as governor. …

Occupational Licensure Stands in the Way of the Path to Prosperity The path to prosperity, for most people, starts with income. Income, collected and saved over time, is what lines the coffers of most financially secure people, regardless of what they may have converted it to over the years:  stocks, bonds, or other financial instruments.…

Occupational Licensing Reduces Mobility For those considering a move to West Virginia, there is little mobility between states when it comes to licensing requirements. Across the nation, nearly one in four workers require a professional license to perform their job. Occupational licensing, which may as well be entitled ‘permission slips,’ requires professionals in certain occupations…

Hello West Virginia,    It’s hard to believe that 2022 is coming to an end. As the Cardinal Institute team looks back on this year, we can confidently say that it was a very good year for our beautiful state!  We kicked off the year with our first ever West Virginia School Choice Fair in…

Which College Degrees Are Best and Worst in West Virginia? This week the Cardinal Institute published the second—perhaps annual—report on the financial outcomes of college degrees in West Virginia. Last year’s report, using the U.S. Department of Education’s standards, identified 21 failing and 64 probationary programs at public colleges and universities. But the Education Department…

The Future of Health Care is Digital A new report from KPMG found health leaders are beginning to spend more on digital health solutions — marking a major shift in health care investments. Given how flawed present models of healthcare record keeping are, we should embrace new emerging technologies, like blockchain, to ensure a fruitful,…

It's Groundhog Day in West Virginia In the 1993 hit movie starring Bill Murray, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s sarcastic, cynical character, tv weatherman Phil Connors, wakes up experiencing the same day over and over again, which, as the title suggests, is Groundhog Day. Once Phil realizes he cannot die, he begins to act as many…

Public School Choice Many states have policies which allow students to attend traditional public schools outside of their zoned attendance area. These policies are under the umbrella of open enrollment, which, as defined by National School Choice Week, are policies that, “make it possible for parents to choose traditional public schools that are outside of…

What is a Health Savings Account? 90% of Americans have no access to a powerful health savings tool: a Health Savings Account (HSA).   A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a bank account, similar to a 401(k), which allows individuals to set aside money from their salary on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualifying medical…

The Most Significant Challenges & Opportunities for the Future of Freedom The distance we have put between ourselves in service of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic presents one of the largest challenges to the preservation of freedom. Luckily, the solution is relatively simple – reconnection.   The last two-and-a-half years have introduced more distance into our…