West Virginia Watch

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COMMENTARY: Everyone should know the condition of the air they breathe. And, above all, every West Virginian should hav...
02/14/2025

COMMENTARY: Everyone should know the condition of the air they breathe. And, above all, every West Virginian should have access to clean air. Unfortunately this is not the case for every person in our state, writes Morgan King.

Democratizing access to air quality data is the primary goal of community air monitoring efforts in West Virginia.

Senate Bill 460, as approved, codifies last month’s executive order from Gov. Patrick Morrisey that the state allow reli...
02/14/2025

Senate Bill 460, as approved, codifies last month’s executive order from Gov. Patrick Morrisey that the state allow religious and moral exemptions for its school-mandated vaccination requirements, reports Lori Kersey.

The Senate Health Committee on Thursday advanced a bill loosening the vaccine requirements for West Virginia school children.

West Virginia’s foster care system is in crisis, and it has spilled over into the state’s court system, reports Amelia F...
02/13/2025

West Virginia’s foster care system is in crisis, and it has spilled over into the state’s court system, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

There aren’t enough attorneys or CPS workers to help the cases move along, and judges believe kids are falling through the cracks.

COMMENTARY: School choice is a fine thing in theory, and a fantastic opportunity for the students who get to participate...
02/13/2025

COMMENTARY: School choice is a fine thing in theory, and a fantastic opportunity for the students who get to participate in top notch private or charter schools. But what about students in rural areas where an alternate school isn’t a possibility, writes Andrew Donaldson.

As the yearly ritual of legislating once again commences, the catechism of elected officials talking about education are again being recited.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey took the podium in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Wednesday, delivering a State of the St...
02/13/2025

Gov. Patrick Morrisey took the podium in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Wednesday, delivering a State of the State address unlike any seen in the chamber in the last eight years, reports Caity Coyne and Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey took the podium to deliver a State of the State address unlike any seen in the chamber in the last eight years.

From The 74: Some West Virginia families say Student First Technologies broke a promise not to seek new contracts until ...
02/13/2025

From The 74: Some West Virginia families say Student First Technologies broke a promise not to seek new contracts until it eradicated widespread backlogs.

Last September, the CEO of a company handling online payments for West Virginia’s private school choice program promised not to seek additional business

The West Virginia Legislature gaveled in on Wednesday for the first day of its 60-day regular session. Senators had a li...
02/13/2025

The West Virginia Legislature gaveled in on Wednesday for the first day of its 60-day regular session. Senators had a light agenda, introducing 299 bills and referring them to various committees as well as introducing a handful of resolutions and passing one.

The West Virginia Legislature gaveled in on Wednesday, Feb. 12, for the first day of its 60-day regular session.

The West Virginia House of Delegates approved new rules for the chamber on Wednesday, officially ending the longstanding...
02/12/2025

The West Virginia House of Delegates approved new rules for the chamber on Wednesday, officially ending the longstanding rule of requiring public hearings for bills when they are requested, reports Caity Coyne.

The West Virginia House of Delegates approved new rules for the chamber on Wednesday, officially no longer requiring public hearings.

President Donald Trump has nominated Republican state Sen. Mike Stuart to serve as general counsel for the U.S. Departme...
02/12/2025

President Donald Trump has nominated Republican state Sen. Mike Stuart to serve as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

President Donald Trump has nominated Republican state Sen. Mike Stuart to serve as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

COMMENTARY: Today begins the state’s 60-day regular legislative session, somehow simultaneously the longest and shortest...
02/12/2025

COMMENTARY: Today begins the state’s 60-day regular legislative session, somehow simultaneously the longest and shortest 60 days of the year. So much goes on, but so little happens, writes Leann Ray.

Today begins the state’s 60-day regular legislative session, somehow simultaneously the longest and shortest 60 days of the year.

West Virginia University expects to lose about $12 million per year in funding to support cancer and vascular research a...
02/12/2025

West Virginia University expects to lose about $12 million per year in funding to support cancer and vascular research and more if the Trump administration goes through with changes to the way the National Institutes of Health provides funding for overhead and administrative costs, reports Lori Kersey

West Virginia University expects to lose about $12 million per year in funding to support cancer and vascular research.

“For most West Virginians, school choice options don’t really exist.” State lawmakers return to the Capitol this week ta...
02/12/2025

“For most West Virginians, school choice options don’t really exist.”
State lawmakers return to the Capitol this week tasked with funding the state’s Hope Scholarship, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey campaigned on school choice, wanting to give West Virginian families funds to explore options outside of public school.

COMMENTARY: To our elected West Virginia leaders and representatives, we sincerely ask you: please slow down before maki...
02/11/2025

COMMENTARY: To our elected West Virginia leaders and representatives, we sincerely ask you: please slow down before making a decision on any policy to weaken these requirements for your younger fellow citizens and constituents who cannot vote, who cannot donate to your campaign, who do not have lobbyists to come meet with you, who do not have a voice or power but who deserve our care and protection all the same, writes Meghan Moses of the West Virginia Women’s Alliance.

The governor's order directed the Bureau for Public Health to write a policy to permit non-medical exemptions to West Virginia’s school immunization requirements.

The move by Morgantown City Council to criminalize sleeping outdoors reflects a trend happening on the national level: M...
02/11/2025

The move by Morgantown City Council to criminalize sleeping outdoors reflects a trend happening on the national level: More than one hundred places around the country enacted laws prohibiting homeless people from sleeping outside last year, reports Lori Kersey.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – When the city of Morgantown passed a law in September imposing fines and potential jail time on homeless people who camp on the street, Sarah Hutson already had a plan to repeal the law. A community organizer for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, Hutson was following how her c...

Several progressive advocacy organizations are speaking out about concerns they have regarding an upcoming resolution by...
02/10/2025

Several progressive advocacy organizations are speaking out about concerns they have regarding an upcoming resolution by the state House of Delegates that will set the rules for the chamber during the 60 day regular session, which starts Wednesday, reports Caity Coyne.

Several progressive advocacy organizations are speaking out about concerns they have regarding an upcoming resolution by the state House.

Fairmont State University says it will no longer house foster children in a dorm on campus beginning in June. The univer...
02/08/2025

Fairmont State University says it will no longer house foster children in a dorm on campus beginning in June. The university had been running a unique state-backed program to provide housing and educational support to foster kids, some under 18 years old, on its campus amid the state’s shortage of homes for foster children.

Fairmont State University will no longer house foster children in a dorm on campus beginning in June.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey is asking the federal government to approve West Virginia’s participation in a program that will g...
02/06/2025

Gov. Patrick Morrisey is asking the federal government to approve West Virginia’s participation in a program that will give more flexibility to correctional officers and other law enforcement agencies by granting them some immigration enforcement powers.

Those powers are typically only held by federal agents, including officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey is asking the federal government to approve West Virginia’s participation in programs that will give more flexibility to correctional officers and other law enforcement agencies by granting them some immigration enforcement powers.

West Virginia’s attorney general says the Supreme Court should reject state Democrats’ legal challenge over a House of D...
02/06/2025

West Virginia’s attorney general says the Supreme Court should reject state Democrats’ legal challenge over a House of Delegates seat.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey has already appointed a Republican to fill the seat of Joseph de Soto, who was elected in November as Republican but registered as a Democrat shortly before he was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill House Speaker Speaker Roger Hanshaw and several other delegates.

West Virginia attorney general JB McCuskey says the Supreme Court should reject state Democrats’ legal challenge over a House of Delegates seat.Gov. Patrick Morrisey has already appointed a Republican to fill the seat of Joseph de Soto, who was elected in November as Republican but registered as a...

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