Some parents said they have struggled to make ends meet after federal monthly Child Tax Credit payments of between $300 and $360 a month per child stopped last December. Without the extra cash, some West Virginians anticipate not being able to afford basic necessities as consumer goods and gas prices continue to rise.

Jessica Greenlief, a Gilmer county resident and previous Child Tax Credit recipient, said the expanded credit helped offset the impact of inflation. Now, she sees her household budget continue to shrink.

"Prices at the gas pump continue to go up, prices in the grocery store continue to go up," Greenlief observed. "Our wages are not going up. So, the Child Tax Credit was a phenomenal assistance for us to continue supporting our family, where we make too much money to be able to receive any other supports."

Critics of the expanded credit said it does not tackle the root causes of child poverty, and comes with a hefty estimated $1.6 trillion cost over the next decade.

But a survey released last year by the group Parents Together Action found 86% of West Virginia parents reported the monthly payments made a "huge difference" for their families, and 88% said the credits made them less anxious about their finances.

Greenlief pointed out discontinuing pandemic child care assistance has been an additional financial burden. She worries now about being able to purchase Christmas presents for her children.

"So with that added expense in our household, the lack of the child care, tax credit, we are going to be struggling with the extra expenses [with] the holidays coming," Greenlief noted.

Greenlief hopes lawmakers consider reviving the expanded Child Tax Credit, and look at updating the Federal Poverty Level guidelines which determine families' eligibility for assistance.

"Those have not been updated in a really long time," Greenlief emphasized. "Because of the lack of that updating, a lot of our families are really struggling."

According to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, the expanded Child Tax Credit reached families of more than 400,000 children in the Mountain State.

Minnesota legislators adopted a lot of major policies in this year's session, including actions to support workers in many different fields. State employees are cheering the provisions.

A new statewide paid-leave program is among the highlights as Democrats pushed through a range of proposals with their majorities.

The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, which represents 15,000 state workers, was a key supporter of the paid-leave plan. Its president, Megan Dayton, said there were other victories, too. Collectively, she said, she feels they'll establish a new era for the state's workforce.

"It's a historic investment," she said. "It's also a breath of fresh air with programs and policies that, in my opinion, echo the spirit of FDR's New Deal."

According to MAPE, pension changes are a big win for its members, including a one-time 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for retirees. Advocates were also able to secure back pay for state workers in the event of a future government shutdown.

Republicans and some business groups have criticized some of the plans, namely the paid-leave program, set to begin in 2026. The National Federation of Independent Business in Minnesota described it as "complex employment regulations and severe penalties that will create more headaches for Main Street."

However, Dayton said whether it's paid leave or the other policies signed into law, Minnesota is in a better position to attract workers, including state government.

"Recruitment and retention is a really difficult piece of the workforce for everybody right now," she said, "and we think that many of the provisions made through this legislative session will contribute to making the state of Minnesota an employer of choice."

As for other workplace changes, the Legislature broadened protections for nursing mothers and pregnant employees. That includes allowing for a pregnant worker to take longer restroom, food and water breaks as an accommodation without being required to provide documentation.

Lawmakers guaranteed more than $760 million in their budget to boost wages and benefits for home care service providers.

That means Washington state caregivers will get wage increases of at least 10%. Veronica Tausili is a caregiver for her mother who traveled Olympia with her union - the Service Employees International Union 775 - to push for the wage increases.

She said experienced at-home caregivers will earn more than $25 an hour by the end of their contract and, importantly, caregiver wages will start at $21 an hour - helping recruit and retain them.

"We've lost so many caregivers because of the fact that they can't afford to stay in that position and not get paid," said Tausili. "So this is going to help us with the hiring process and getting people in because we're in dire need of caregivers right now."

The budget funding covers health-care coverage for caregivers' children as well. The Washington state budget also includes a rate increase for nursing homes of nearly $300 million over the next two years.

Tausili said this is critical for addressing understaffing in nursing homes.

Tausili quit her job to take care of her mom when she found out her mom had stage four cancer, which she survived - but Tausili continues to take care of her around the clock.

While some might see this kind of care as a burden, Tausili disagreed.

"This is my life as a caregiver and I love the fact that I can be there with her through everything," said Tausili. "I can say I was with her and I held her hand through everything."

Tausili praised state Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen - R- Puyallup - whom Tausili met with during the session, for her work on this issue. Gov. Jay Inslee signed the budget last week.




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More than one hundred workers at Coca-Cola plants in Logan and Charleston have returned to work after going on a days-long strike.

Ken Hall - the president of Teamsters Local 175 - said workers have a list of grievances against the company, including using supervisors doing union members' work and failing to pay employees for work performed.

Hall said the workers decided they didn't want to inconvenience the customers who rely on them, and remain optimistic - despite little movement from a company whose gross profit totaled nearly $600 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.

"They company just made another 23% profit in the first quarter," said Hall. "They're paying their CEO about $13 million as of last year, which is a significant increase for him. And yet they want to cut West Virginia workers out of their jobs and out of their pay."

In previously released statements, Coca-Cola Consolidated says it has provided the union a fair and competitive contract offer and remains committed to working with them on an equitable resolution.

Hall added that the local businesses that depend on receiving products from drivers are dismayed at the labor dispute.

"You see customers saying we don't want any deliveries that don't come from our drivers," said Hall. "They are fed up with the behavior protocol."

Coca-Cola also recently entered into an agreement with the gas station Sheetz to directly ship products from warehouses to Sheetz convenience stores.

Hall said the move bypasses the company's drivers, who were paid commissions for delivering those products.





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