Amy Jo Hutchison

Amy Jo Hutchison is an American economic justice advocate who campaigns against poverty and hunger in West Virginia.

Amy Jo Hutchison
Amy Jo Hutchison testifying at the U.S. Congress
BornOctober 26, 1971 (1971-10-26)
Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationOrganizer
Known forEconomic justice advocacy

Career

In 2017, Hutchison began working as an organizer for Our Future West Virginia.[1][2][3] Hutchison organizes in twenty counties in West Virginia, which includes meetings with members of the community and organizing lobbying campaigns at the state capitol.[4]

In December 2017, she visited the United States Congress as part of a lobbying campaign organized by First Focus, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization, to advocate for a reauthorization of the C.H.I.P. health insurance program.[5][6]

In 2018, Hutchison was one of the leaders of the Poor People's Campaign in West Virginia, during a national effort to conduct forty days of demonstrations and other action to support economic justice.[7]

On February 5, 2020, as part of the Healthy Kids and Families Coalition in West Virginia, Hutchison testified before the United States Congress in opposition to a Trump administration proposal to change the formula for calculating the poverty rate, using real-life examples.[8][9][10][11] Her testimony included "nights she went to bed hungry, nights she had to nurse her gallbladder with essential oils and eat ibuprofen "like Tic-Tacs" because she didn't have health insurance."[12][13]

Hutchison then focused on the Census, because West Virginia is the most reliant on the related funding.[12] In March 2020, Hutchison explained how and why Our Future West Virginia was supporting the U.S. Census to the Times West Virginian.[14]

In February 2021, at a Poor People's Campaign rally, she said, "If we are going to be a society that insists we have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, then we can’t refuse to give people the bootstraps they need to pull themselves up."[15] She was speaking in support of a gradual increase of the minimum wage to $15 an hour and in response to opposition from Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.[16] She also co-wrote an opinion article in February 2021 with Indivar Dutta-Gupta, the Co-Executive Director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality, advocating for Congress to "go big" on COVID relief.[17]

On October 28 2021, Hutchison appeared on The Problem with Jon Stewart, and discussed topics relevant to working-class people, including infrastructure and child care.[18]

Personal life

Hutchison has two daughters.[7] She has described herself as "working poor," because she earns too much to qualify for government assistance but "it’s a struggle to make it check to check."[12]

References
  1. cafb (January 21, 2021). "CLC Behind the Scenes: Learning from Amy Jo Hutchinson". Capital Area Food Bank. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  2. "2020 West Virginia Wonder Woman Amy Jo Hutchison". WV Living. October 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  3. "Amy Jo Hutchison". Soul Tent Stories.
  4. Kaufman, Greg (June 25, 2018). "The Poor People's Campaign Is Just Getting Started". The Nation. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  5. King, Jocelyn (December 20, 2017). "Wheeling resident to speak on C.H.I.P." Herald-Star. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  6. Pear, Robert (December 19, 2017). "With Children's Health Program Running Dry, Parents Beg Congress: 'Do the Right Thing'". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. Waggoner, Martha (April 10, 2018). "Poor People's Campaign to begin 40 days of action next month". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  8. Wright, D.K. (February 13, 2020). "Wheeling woman's plea to Congress makes national news". WTRF. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. "Hearing: A Threat to America's Children? The Trump Administration's Proposed Changes to the Poverty Line Calculation.". House. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  10. 116th United States Congress Hearing, February 5, 2020
  11. "Ms. Hutchison Testimony on Proposed Changes to the Poverty Line Calculation". YouTube. United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
  12. Stewart, Chris (March 13, 2020). "Woman praised for testimony on poverty stresses importance of census". ABC Denver 7. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  13. Guidiano, Nichole (February 6, 2020). "House panel examines impact of proposed SNAP changes on children". Politico. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  14. Trizzino, Eddie (March 5, 2020). "Fairmont nonprofit becoming hub to aid in 2020 Census". Times West Virginian. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  15. Dolan, Karen; Nagarajan-Swenson, Uma (March 3, 2021). "Opinion: Democrats' relief plan could cut child poverty by 4 million". MarketWatch. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  16. Dolan, Karen; Nagarajan-Swenson, Uma (March 3, 2021). "Democrats' COVID Relief Plan Could Cut Child Poverty by 4 Million". Institute for Policy Studies. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  17. Hutchison, Amy Jo; Dutta-Gupta, Indivar (February 6, 2021). "Hutchison, Dutta-Gupta: WV needs Congress to go big on COVID relief". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  18. Little, Rebecca (October 29, 2021). "Wheeling Activist Amy Jo Hutchison talks infrastructure on 'The Problem with Jon Stewart'". WTRF. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
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