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 […]

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 […]

35th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall Earlier this month, lovers of freedom throughout the world celebrated the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not only did it mark the beginning of the end of the Cold War, for many, it also signified the philosophical triumphs of freedom and democracy […]

Good Governance & Finance Audits are not sexy. They are not even exciting, enticing, or exhilarating, however, what they are is . . . revealing. A common talking point amongst fiscal conservatives and general free-market types is the need to cut spending and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the budget. The Cardinal Institute even […]

The Challenges Of The Public Education System  It’s difficult to overstate the challenge of thinking critically about the public education system — mainly because we love teachers. And let’s be honest, cognitive dissonance plays a role too. After all, most of us went to and sent our children to public schools. Thinking critically would put most […]

Spooky Policies to Beware of As Halloween creeps around the corner, let’s expose the ghosts of bad decisions past and unearth insidious policies lurking in the shadows of bloated bureaucracy. A few of these policies may appear innocuous on the surface. However, as many horror films demonstrate, sometimes the seemingly innocent ideas can harbor bone-chilling […]

Governor Justice Calls a Special Session On September 30, Governor Jim Justice called the legislature to convene for a special session. The initial call had 27 items for lawmakers to address. The call was then amended twice, bringing items of business up to 40. Supplemental appropriations to a wide variety of agencies and associated services […]

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2024    FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Amanda Kieffer, VP of Communications & Strategy, Cardinal Institute for WV Policy PHONE: (304)-541-9551| EMAIL: [email protected]     New Survey Reveals West Virginia Families’ Dissatisfaction with Lack of School Choices   Charleston, W.Va. – The Cardinal Institute in partnership with 50CAN and Edge […]

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 […]