West Virginia

Child care tax credit moves forward in WV House during special session

Published

1 year ago

October 7, 2024

Child care tax credit moves forward in WV House during special session

Del. Bob Fehrenbacher, R-Wood, discusses a bill that would create a Child and Dependent Care Tax credit in West Virginia during a meeting of the House Committee on Finance on Oct. 6, 2024. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography)

A bill to create a state-level child and dependent care tax credit advanced on Sunday in the House Finance Committee.

The credit is expected to benefit 16,000 West Virginia families who are already paying for child care, according to Gov. Jim Justice, who included the bill in his call for the ongoing special session.

Justice, who is running for the U.S. Senate, pushed the tax credit, saying he wants to help families afford child care and boost the state’s workforce participation rate. Families are paying $600 to $700 dollars a month on the expense, he said.

House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, said the special session was the right time to vote on the measure after lawmakers were unable to consider it during the regular session due to the threat of a federal clawback tied to schools’ spending of COVID-19 dollars. The issue has been resolved.

“Child care credits are a way to help families that are in West Virginia that make money in the state,” Criss said. “That’s important so that they can use those dollars to help fund their child care.”

While the bill, Senate Bill 2026, sailed through the committee, some lawmakers did raise concerns about potentially increasing the number of families who could use child care without adding day care spots. West Virginia needs more than 20,000 child care spots for working families.

“We have a big demand and not enough spots,” said Del. Amy Summers, R-Taylor.

Child care providers, who have asked lawmakers to address widespread problems forcing day care shut downs, have said that the bill won’t help them.

There is already a federal version of the child and dependent care tax credit. It is worth up to $2,000 per child and reaches only a small percentage of families.

The bill would create a state tax credit equal to 50% of the allowable federal child and dependent care credit and is available to families already using the federal version.

For a family that makes more than $43,000 annually, the state tax credit would likely equal $300 for one child or $600 for two or more children.

“For the child care situation, they have to make that investment up front then they would recoup that when they file their state tax return,” said Del. Bob Fehrenbacher, R-Wood.

The new state-level credit would be nonrefundable. Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, attempted to amend the legislation to be refundable, raising concerns that it wouldn’t give enough money back to West Virginia families as the tax credit is unavailable to low-income families not already paying for child care.

Without knowledge of how a refundable tax credit would impact the bill’s cost, lawmakers opted to reject Williams’s proposal.

The bill will have to be considered by the Senate and House, where many members have already expressed support for the measure.

Lawmakers haven’t yet taken up Justice’s proposed additional 5% personal income tax cut – one of the governor’s priorities for the special session. The measure has faced scrutiny due to the state’s financial position as Justice nears the end of his term as governor.

Justice amended the special session call over the weekend, adding to it four bills, including one that would allocate $5 million for a child care expansion pilot program.

Child care providers have asked lawmakers to help stabilize their industry by funding the state’s child care subsidy program for low-income families and helping day care workers afford child care themselves. The state has lost hundreds of child care spots this year, and on Oct. 4, Bible Center Preschool in Charleston announced it would be closing its birth-to-two classrooms due to financial instability.

While lawmakers said addressing the complex problem was a key issue, multiple child care focused-bills never went up for a vote in the House or Senate during the regular session.

House members unsuccessfully pushed for several of those bills to be included in Justice’s special session call.

The amended special session calls also includes bills that would allocate $1 million for schools safety initiatives and $10 million for drought relief programs.

Another measure would create a specific appropriation line for charter school construction grants. Separately, the House Education Committee approved a bill on Sept. 30 that would allow charter schools to apply for School Building Authority funds to use for start-up costs and more.

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West Virginia

Josh Hoover throws a TD pass and TCU outlasts West Virginia 23-17

Published

9 hours ago

October 25, 2025

Press Room

Josh Hoover throws a TD pass and TCU outlasts West Virginia 23-17

Josh Hoover threw a touchdown pass, Nate McCashland kicked three field goals and TCU outlasted West Virginia 23-17 on Saturday night.

TCU (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) barely outgained West Virginia 343-342 but made the most of its opportunities.

TCU started its first three possessions past midfield and led 10-0 before West Virginia had mustered a first down. Each team scored its initial touchdown on a short field following a poor punt.

After Trent Battle opened the scoring on a 1-yard run for the Horned Frogs, Hoover fooled West Virginia’s defense with a fake handoff, then found Eric McAlister on a 4-yard scoring toss midway through the second quarter for a 17-7 lead.

McAlister, who was targeted 18 times, caught nine passes for 124 yards. Hoover, tied with two others for the most TD passes (21) in the country entering play Saturday, finished 24 of 39 for 247 yards.

McCashland kicked field goals of 35, 22 and 41 yards.

West Virginia (2-6, 0-5) has lost five straight. The Mountaineers have been held to 17 or fewer points five times this season.

West Virginia freshman Scotty Fox Jr. threw two touchdown passes, including a 28-yarder to Jeff Weimer with 3:15 remaining in the game.

TCU recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock. McAlister gave his team a scare, though. He caught a 21-yard pass on third down but fumbled and teammate Major Everhart recovered it at the West Virginia 19 with 2 minutes left.

Fox, the fourth quarterback used by the Mountaineers this season due to injuries, went 28 of 41 for 301 yards in his second straight start. It marked the first time in over a month that West Virginia surpassed 150 passing yards.

The takeaway

TCU: The Horned Frogs were held to their fewest points this season but got tested by a determined West Virginia team playing in its annual Coal Rush game.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers, with 80-some new players on the roster, are heading for their worst season since 2001, when they went 3-8 in Rich Rodriguez’s inaugural season of his first stint at the school. They must win all four remaining games to become bowl eligible.

Up next

TCU has next Saturday off before hosting Iowa State on Nov. 8.

West Virginia plays at Houston on Saturday.

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West Virginia

No. 24 West Virginia gets by Iowa State 1-0 to remain unbeaten in Big 12 play – WV MetroNews

Published

2 days ago

October 24, 2025

Press Room

No. 24 West Virginia gets by Iowa State 1-0 to remain unbeaten in Big 12 play – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — No. 24 West Virginia was the superior side for a good portion of Thursday night’s matchup with Iowa State.

The Mountaineers applied pressure far more consistently and registered seven of 10 shots on goal and 10 of 13 corner kicks between the two teams, though the Cyclones were within one play of pulling even for the final 68 minutes and change.

“That’s soccer. I’ve been here 30 years. That’s going to happen,” WVU head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said.

Ultimately, Anna Hauer’s goal just before the midway point in the opening half made all the difference and the Mountaineers earned a 1-0 victory to remain unbeaten within the Big 12 Conference.

Hauer’s goal came off a crossing feed from teammate Taylor White, who put the Memphis transfer in position to get her left foot on the ball and beat ISU goalkeeper Kasey Cannistraro, allowing the home team to strike first.

“I don’t know if there’s ever a goal that I didn’t like,” Izzo-Brown said. “Anna got a piece of it and we’ll take it. I’ll win ugly.”

right place. right time. 🤝#HailWV | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Xzgb0lLhic
— WVU Women’s Soccer (@wvuwomenssoccer) October 23, 2025

The Mountaineers (11-2-3, 6-0-3) managed four other shots on goal in the opening half, but Cannistraro was up to the task each time.

Iowa State, meanwhile, went to the break with two shots on goal, both of which WVU keeper Bailey Herfurth stopped en route to the Mountaineers’ ninth clean sheet this season.

For all its success of late, West Virginia had allowed six goals over the previous three matches and finished 2-0-1 in that stretch.

“We had to get back to a shutout and that’s really important to the whole team collectively,” Izzo-Brown said.

Herfurth stopped one shot in the second half, and the Mountaineers nearly added to their lead on separate occasion in the late stages, but Cannistraro made a high-level save on a Maya Leoni shot in the 74th minute, before Alicia Riggins shot deflected off the crossbar in the 84th minute.

Still, WVU remained in the thick of the race for a Big 12 regular season championship and improved to 13-0 all-time against the Cyclones.

Iowa State fell to 4-8-3 overall and 1-7-1 in the Big 12.

“We hit everything but net in the second half,” Izzo-Brown said. “But I thought Iowa was way better than their record, so I don’t want to not speak to that. The second half, we have to finish one those chances, especially with how many corner kicks we had. But that’s soccer, we walked away with three points and I’m thrilled.”

West Virginia was momentarily in sole possession of first place in the Big 12 late Thursday until TCU secured a 1-0 win at Arizona to move atop the league standings.

The Horned Frogs are 7-1-1 in Big 12 play and have 22 points to WVU’s 21 points. Colorado, which defeated Texas Tech on Thursday, pulled into a tie for third place with the Red Raiders at 20 points each.

The Mountaineers return to action at noon Sunday when they welcome Oklahoma State. The regular season finale is next Thursday at home against Cincinnati.

“Sunday will a bear,” Izzo-Brown said. “What we have to deal with Sunday, it’s always going to be at tough day to turnaround and match the effort from Thursday.”

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West Virginia

The Walk Thru Game Day Show: West Virginia vs. TCU Preview + Prediction

Published

3 days ago

October 23, 2025

Press Room

The Walk Thru Game Day Show: West Virginia vs. TCU Preview + Prediction

This week on the Walk Thru Game Day Show, Eugene Napoleon and I preview this week’s matchup between West Virginia and TCU.

Also…

We open the show by discussing whether or not the future at quarterback is already on the roster in Khalil Wilkins or Scotty Fox, or if the Mountaineers will have to go out in the transfer portal to find that solution. We also make some predictions on some overs/unders that we manufactured for the final five games of the season, including how many quarterbacks start games, how many wins the Mountaineers can collect down the stretch, and how many key pieces to next year’s squad they can identify over the next month in addition to Jahiem White, Cam Vaughn, and Curtis Jones Jr.

After the break, Eugene makes his Napoleon’s dynamite pick of the week, we talk other players to watch, and then dive into the matchup before making our picks.

No. 18 USF at Memphis, 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2

No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma, 12 p.m. ET on ABC

No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

No. 11 BYU at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX

TCU at West Virginia, 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Go over to our YouTube page, West Virginia On SI, and make your picks by placing them in the comments section. If you go 5/5, you’ll receive an autographed picture from Eugene Napoleon from his time at West Virginia

The Mountaineers and the Horned Frogs will kick things off at approximately 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

If you haven’t yet, please go over to our YouTube page, West Virginia On SI (@SI_WVU), and subscribe. You’ll get a notification the second a new episode of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru GameDay Show, or Mountaineer Postgame drops.