WV Citizen Action Group Blog

201 posts found, showing 20 per page

Citizen Action Group Blog Gary Zuckett August 19, 2023
You’re Invited to Our 2023 Awards Picnic & Fun(d)raiser Sat., Sept. 16
Join us to celebrate our awardees, reflect on the work we've done and what's to come, and spend time with old and new friends! Our 2023 Awardees are: Mike Tony - Don Marsh & Paul Nyden Public Service Award; Pam Nixon - Thomas A. Knight Excalibur Award; and Shalom Tazewell - Si Galperin In Defense of Democracy Award. I hope you can join us in September to lift up these awesome folks and their work. More
Issues: Democracy, Environment, Health Care

Action Alert, Citizen Action Group Blog CAG August 2, 2023
Join WV New Jobs Coalition at 9th Street LIVE!
This week's 9th St. Live Friday on the Plaza will showcase Robot Charlie! Come out to see NJC's table, say hello, and enjoy the music! More
Issues: Community Organizing, IRA, Resilient Communities

Citizen Action Group Blog Eve Marcum-Atkinson July 17, 2023
Blog: My letter to Representative Miller’s Office on Healthcare in WV
Dear Emily, Thank you so much for meeting with our Healthcare For All West Virginia team on Tuesday, June 27th... Most especially, thank you for listening to our concerns as fellow West Virginians passionate about healthcare issues and relaying them to Representative Miller. More
Issues: Health Care, Health Insurance, Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG July 11, 2023
Healthcare Team Goes To DC!
If these healthcare issues are important to you or your loved ones, please consider becoming a volunteer with Healthcare For All WV! Our healthcare team hit DC a couple weeks ago and met with congressional policy advisors to discuss a number of healthcare issues important to West Virginians. More
Issues: Health Care, Medicaid, Medicare, Prescription Drug Prices

Action Alert, Citizen Action Group Blog Cassandra Wiley June 19, 2023
Bring Renewable Energy Jobs to the West Side Community Meeting
Join us Friday June 23rd at 5 PM at A More Excellent Way Life Center Church for a discussion on how the West Side can benefit from new investments in renewable energy, and what we can do to create more opportunities to put people back to work and help people get into higher paying jobs. More
Issues: Clean Energy, Energy, Energy efficiency, Jobs

Citizen Action Group Blog   May 22, 2023
Are We Talking, ‒ Or Are We Listening?
If you are pained and exhausted by the culture war, here is your chance to help. Every month, the United Vision Project hosts trainings for people like you! People who want to get involved in bringing us closer together instead of further and further apart. Please click here to learn more. And sign up today to sign up to get started as a partner of this important work. More

Citizen Action Group Blog Gary Zuckett May 1, 2023
Tax Cuts: Truth & Consequences
The more than $750 million tax giveaway (mostly to the rich) passed by the Legislature, is trickle-up economics at its worst. Check out one of the WV Center on Budget and Policy’s upcoming community meetings called “More Money for Who?” on “how state tax changes undermine schools, libraries and healthcare,” to participate in an interactive discussion on how the recent tax changes can affect vital public services. More
Issues: Budget priorities, Fair taxation

Citizen Action Group Blog   April 20, 2023
Charging West Virginians: How utility and PSC actions continue to increase electricity bills
Electricity in West Virginia is generated almost exclusively from coal-fired power plants. Other states have taken steps to diversify their fuel mixes, but West Virginia has taken a different approach. Decisions made by utilities and the Public Service Commission (PSC) have facilitated the state’s continued, near-exclusive reliance on coal. As detailed in this report, these decisions have had realworld consequences for West Virginians who pay more and more for their electricity according to a new report prepared for West Virginia Citizen Action Group, Energy Efficient West Virginia, and Solar United Neighbors by Downstream Strategies. More
Issues: Energy, Environment

Citizen Action Group Blog   March 24, 2023
Black Policy Day Success!
More than 300 students, Sorority sisters, movers, shakers and policy makers gathered at the Capitol to educate and celebrate each other. Check out the media coverage and pictures from the event here, and save the date for next year’s Black Policy Day: February 7, 2024. More
Issues: Black Policy Day, Policy

Citizen Action Group Blog   March 17, 2023
Public Meeting to Raise Awareness About Leaking Abandoned Gas Wells Impacting Several Areas of Charleston
On Monday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m, a public meeting and panel discussion will help raise awareness about the dangers of leaking abandoned gas wells negatively impacting residents served by the Elk River, including the Rutledge and Crouch Hollow Mountain areas of Charleston, West Virginia. More
Issues: Gas Wells, Oil and Gas, Pollution, water quality

Citizen Action Group Blog   March 17, 2023
That’s a Wrap! 2023 Leading for Justice Legislative Recap
The 2023 legislative session wrapped up last Saturday, and not a moment too soon. It can be best summarized that we had great victories for healing justice, both advancing proactive policies to reduce the footprint of the criminal legal system, and stopping a bevy of bills that would create or enhance penalties. Here's a rundown of the wins, the ones that got away, plus economic justice wins/losses more broadly, as well as some upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and ways to take action. More
Issues: Criminal Justice, Inequality

Citizen Action Group Blog   February 28, 2023
No Exceptions
This commentary dialogue was submitted by WV CAG member Bettijane Burger. Burger is a retired teacher and a former president of the WV National Organization for Women. More
Issues: Reproductive Justice

Citizen Action Group Blog Gary Zuckett February 1, 2023
Regal Apt Fire Fundraiser – Feb 11th, 6PM
Join friends and neighbors to raise support for community members recovering from the Regal apt fire. This fundraiser event will be located at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 520 Kanawha Blvd W, Charleston, WV and will include a potluck dinner, raffle, and a 'cake walk'. More
Issues: Fundraiser

Citizen Action Group Blog Gary Zuckett January 29, 2023
Guns in Schools
The WV Legislature's solution to gun violence: arm more ‘good guys’ to engage in shootouts when a gunman shows up at one of our schools or colleges. More
Issues: Education, Gun Safety, Gun Violence

Citizen Action Group Blog Dani Parent January 23, 2023
Climate Eye – Week 2
Updates on what's happening with legislation to address PFAS contamination, expand community solar, develop energy projects on and under state-owned lands, and increase legislative oversight of the Public Service Commission. More
Issues: Energy, Environment, Pollution, Water

Citizen Action Group Blog Julie Archer January 23, 2023
Much Ado About Elections, and More
Ten days into the 2023 legislative, more than 50 bills related to elections have been introduced. Two have traction, and action is needed to keep HB 2244 off the House Judiciary Committee agenda. Related to elections, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge Saturday's anniversary of the US Supreme Court’s devastating Citizens United decsion, the role of dark money in shifting the balance of the Court to the right, and it's impact on our fundamental rights. More
Issues: Democracy, Discrimination, Fair Courts, Health Care, Inequality, Voting Rights

Citizen Action Group Blog Gary Zuckett January 23, 2023
Battle of the Tax Cuts
The House quickly passed the governor’s bad idea of eliminating one quarter of our state’s annual revenue by cutting 50% off personal income taxes over the next three years. However, Senate leadership has deemed HB 2526 DOA and, not to be outdone, they’re cooking up their own tax cuts. Regardless of how the Legislature lands on these cuts, regular West Virginians lose. Now is the time to make your voice heard on this lose-lose proposition! More
Issues: Budget priorities, Fair taxation, Kids and families

Citizen Action Group Blog   January 23, 2023
Health Care Bills to Keep an Eye On
WV-CAG and our partners in the Health Care for All-WV coalition are excited to share the news that the insulin and diabetic supplies bill (HB 2430) was introduced in the House. Another bill that could strengthen the health of West Virginians (SB 269) by raising the Medicaid Dental Benefit from $1,000 to $2,000 a year for adult recipients has advanced in the Senate. And we expect the Affordable Medicaid Buy-In bill to be introduced this week. More details here. More
Issues: Health Care, Medicaid, Prescription Drug Prices

Citizen Action Group Blog Julie Archer January 15, 2023
WV NAACP Day at the Legislature: Shifting the Narrative on MLK, Jr. Day
This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, advocates and supporters are working to reframe the King Day narrative and focus on the power of healing and called for action on policies to reduce West Virginia’s disparities. More on shifting the King Day narrative here from Rev. Ron English, President of the Charleston Branch of the NAACP. More
Issues: Discrimination, Health Care, Inequality, Poverty

Citizen Action Group Blog Julie Archer January 15, 2023
Advocates Call for Local & Legislative Action, Funding for Community Support Services to Address School Suspension Disparities
The impact of school discipline “falls heavily on the most marginalized, and the poorest people. And the cycle will be perpetuated until we come together and figure out how to address it today.” This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, lets lift our collective voices to call on lawmakers to address inequities in school discipline, and to advocate for just, fair and equitable allocation of ARPA funds to help our most vulnerable. More
Issues: Discrimination, Education, Inequality, Kids and families