Responding to The WV Watch In a recent commentary piece, the WV Watch puts West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship squarely in its sights and holds no punches.  Here’s where they got it wrong.     Do the Math  The WV Watch claims that West Virginia’s schools need more money.   Like most states, West Virginia spends roughly […]

Since the beginning of the legislative session on January 11, 2017, West Virginia has been consumed with discussion over the budget crisis. While the discussion can be exhausting and repetitive, it has provided a forum for two competing visions for West Virginia. The first vision essentially doubles down on the idea that more government involvement […]

The 2024 West Virginia Legislative Session in Numbers It is the end of the 2024 West Virginia Legislative Session. As the action in Charleston has wrapped up, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what has transpired. Certainly, there were fireworks and heated debates along the way. Interestingly enough, many of the bills […]

Grocery Stores in Bureautopia There was once a country called Bureautopia. Bureautopia, in its time, looked surprisingly similar to the United States. It had vast natural beauty and resources. It had varied regional cultures across its land. And it had a government that, for better or worse, tried to provision important resources like food to […]

Benefit Cliffs Prevent Work We have all heard, at one time or another, terms that look to describe or deride people who take advantage of public benefits programs. I won’t list them here, but we’ve all heard them. These terms are the result of sometimes righteous frustration with individuals or families that live on the […]

Jeff Kimble is a lawyer practicing in the Clarksburg office of Robinson & McElwee PLLC where he serves on the firm’s board of directors. His practice primarily involves commercial and corporate defense with a particular focus on property-related litigation. Jeff serves on the Board of Directors of Clarksburg-Uptown. He served as a member of the […]

WVU Faces Budget Crisis and Difficult Decisions West Virginia University (WVU) has undergone the difficult process of eliminating 28 majors, 143 jobs, and millions of dollars in spending. The cuts were prompted by the university’s $45 million deficit this year. Deficit projections over the next five years are estimated to grow to $75 million. On […]

What do Republican Presidential Candidates Have to Say About School Choice? School Choice initiatives aim to introduce education to the marketplace. These programs give parents purchasing power, free students from zip code based schools, and bring innovation to schooling. While school choice is largely a state-level issue, the attitudes of federal officials can make it […]

What a State Celebrates Matters Show me what a state celebrates, and I will show you what a state values. For now, one would have to assume that revenue is the “highest good” for the state’s political leadership. On one level, this is understandable, but it’s important to recognize that this is, ultimately, flawed. More […]

Wonderful Policy Changes to Celebrate in West Virginia On Tuesday, June 20th, our beloved West Virginia celebrates 160 years of statehood. While this year’s celebration may lack the same pomp and circumstance of 2013’s sesquicentennial, there’s plenty over the last 10 years to be excited about.   As a policy organization, we’re keen to focus […]