The 2014 General Assembly Session

As the 2014 General Assembly session gets under way, there will be big debates over key issues facing our state including how the state allocates its investments in programs that support the well-being of Virginia, whether to provide health insurance to over 400,000 Virginians who don’t have it, and how to best prepare ourselves now for future prosperity.

We’ll be releasing our analysis of the fiscal impacts of these key issues in real time throughout session. In the meantime, below is a recap of some of our work over the last two months on many of the key issues facing legislators as they convene in Richmond.

State Budget

On the Edge: Past Decisions, Sluggish Economy Pose Fiscal Challenges for Virginia (Report)

Governor’s K-12 Funding is Not as it Seems (Blog)

In Governor’s Budget, a Little Help for Low-Income Virginians (Blog)

Hold the Champagne (Blog)

Eye on Va. Budget: Not Expanding Medicaid Has Real Consequences (Blog)

Can Closing Loopholes Improve Virginia’s Fiscal Future? Despite evidence of inefficiency, stiff opposition means progress won’t come easily (Report)

How Would a Corporate Income Tax Cut Hurt Virginia’s Ability to Invest in the Future? There’s more to a competitive business climate than just lower taxes (Report)

What Would a Cut to the Top Individual Income Tax Rate Mean for Virginians? 4 in 10 Virginians Would See No Benefit, Federal Government Stands to Gain

Medicaid

Medicaid Is Far From Broken: Critical Health Insurance Should Be Offered to More Virginians (Report)

Medicaid Expansion Would Pay For Itself: Cost Savings, New Revenue Would Offset Cost of Expansion (Report)

Caution! Coverage Gap Ahead: Hazards Await Hard-Working Virginians on January 1^st (Report)

Coverage Gap Rings in Virginia’s New Year (Blog)

Cycle of Dependence? (Blog)

Moving Backwards (Blog)

Unforced Errors (Blog)

Green Means Go (Blog)

Employment/Unemployment/Economy

Caught in the Wake: Rising Inequality Lifting Some Virginians, Sinking Others (Report)

A Bitter Forecast for Virginia’s Unemployed (Blog)

What Virginia’s Unemployment Rate Doesn’t Tell You (Blog)

In the Dark (Blog)

Transportation

Destination Unknown Navigating Virginia’s New Transportation Funding Package – and Potential Potholes

For Your Weekend Reading

Taking the Field: A Game Plan for a Resilient Virginia
Virginia is one of the wealthiest states in the country. But the recession battered the middle class and undermined our schools, colleges, health care and other foundations of a strong, enduring economy. Taking the Field contains a broad set of policy proposals intended to educate Virginians and state policymakers about the kind of choices we need to make in order to build a more resilient economy.