The Cardinal's Nest

Although a legislative win sometimes feels instantaneous, the immense amount of work behind it is seldom seen. Whether it is an Olympic sprinter crossing the finish line or a bill passing the legislature, the effort required often lies in darkness. It never mak… Read More

On March 11th, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion relief plan. Known as the American Rescue Plan, this Act intended to help the American economy recover from the year-long coronavirus pandemic. The most discussed parts of the program are the individual stimulus checks and expansion of the… Read More

Wasteful Spending: A Trade Secret   In 2017, an investigation was launched into the West Virginia Supreme Court for overzealous spending. 2009 sparked a renovation initiative for the Court with a price tag of roughly $876,000. But, by 2017, the expenses ballooned to $3.7 billion. Most notable o… Read More

Florida has a beach, beautiful weather, and, most importantly, Disney World. Who wouldn’t want to move to the Sunshine State?   This seems to be a wildly popular argument for those opposed to elimination of the personal income tax (PIT), using Florida as an example that growth is not from… Read More

West Virginia has had crisis after crisis imposed on it; some have come externally, but many have been so tragically self-inflicted. The best example of this cycle is how our certificate of need a.k.a. CON laws have hampered our ability to respond to any of the health issues our state… Read More

Can Hope Scholarships Help Pay Private School Tuition Fees?: Marginal v. Total Thinking Explainer Another concern with the proposed Hope Scholarship is the matter of whether or not the scholarship amounts would truly make a difference to families with the lowest incomes. This is particularly a conce… Read More

Apprenticeships and Career Education Get People into Jobs Do you need a college degree for a great career? Certainly not. February is CTE Month, a time to think about how career and technical education can be a fast track to jobs and community development. Vocational programs can prepare students fo… Read More

Thanks to increasingly popular technology, you no longer need to leave the comfort of your home to get basic medical care. Telemedicine allows you to meet with your healthcare provider via smartphone or computer. For states with large rural areas, like West Virginia, telemedicine could provide healt… Read More

Education Costs & the Hope Scholarship   Amid all the talk about why lawmakers in West Virginia should or shouldn’t pass legislation that introduces Hope Scholarship education savings accounts to students and families across the Mountain State, one major point of contention always comes bac… Read More

Not yet a month out from Joe Biden’s first day in office, the newly inaugurated President has signed 25 executive orders and proposed plans for impactful change across the nation. Lumped into a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, the President has suggested increasing the federal minimum… Read More