By PHIL KABLER Charleston Gazette-Mail CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With just three days on the job, newly appointed Justice chief of staff Mike Hall has a tall assignment: organizing a campaign to promote passage of the “2017 Roads to Prosperity” road bond referendum, with just six weeks until the Oct. 7[Read More…]
Government
Mineral County delegate to propose legislation making ‘spoofing’ illegal
By ANDREA LANNOM The Register-Herald CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Mineral County delegate said he plans to draft legislation that would make using false caller ID information illegal. Delegate Gary Howell, R-Mineral, said he plans to introduce the bill in the next regular legislative session that would ban “spoofing,” according to[Read More…]
Blair named new state Senate finance chairman
By PHIL KABLER Charleston Gazette-Mail CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, said Wednesday he has selected Sen. Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, as the new Senate Finance Committee. Blair succeeds Sen. Mike Hall, R-Putnam, who resigned to serve as Gov. Jim Justice’s chief of staff. Hall replaces Nick Casey,[Read More…]
Despite party switch, WV GOP to oppose Justice’s road bond referendum
By JAKE ZUCKERMAN Charleston Gazette-Mail CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Despite Gov. Jim Justice’s recent flip to the Republican party, the state GOP executive committee voted to oppose Justice’s road bond referendum. The party met in Princeton on Saturday and passed a resolution to oppose the referendum for a constitutional amendment in[Read More…]
DHHR Secretary says W.Va. Experiencing child welfare crisis
By ANDREA LANNOM The Register-Herald CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Bill Crouch said the state is experiencing a child welfare crisis. In a Tuesday presentation to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, Crouch said the DHHR is experiencing a record number of[Read More…]
Legislature may revive contract wage bill
By RUSTY MARKS The State Journal CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia state lawmakers may try to resurrect a bill that would exempt details of wages paid on state construction projects from disclosure under the state’s Freedom of Information Act. Under current law, what contractors pay to workers hired for state[Read More…]
Justice says he does not expect cabinet-level position changes
By ANDREA LANNOM The Register-Herald CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice said during a Monday press conference that he does not anticipate any cabinet-level position changes because of his switch to the Republican Party, but does anticipate staffing shake-ups. Justice hosted the press conference with newly-appointed Chief of Staff Mike[Read More…]
Legislative sub-committee: DOH still working with contractor despite kickback scheme conviction
By RUSTY MARKS The State Journal CHARLESTON, W.Va. —Officials with the West Virginia Division of Highways continued to enter into contracts with an electrical contractor even after the company’s president pleaded guilty to taking part in a highway construction kickback scheme that cost the state $1.5 million, state lawmakers were[Read More…]
West Virginia Senator Ryan Weld’s bills to focus on addiction treatment
By JOSELYN KING The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register WHEELING, W.Va. — Recent efforts by the West Virginia Legislature to curb drug addiction have focused on punishment for offenders, and Sen. Ryan Weld says the next move by lawmakers should be to start looking at improving drug treatment policies in the[Read More…]
WV legislator pushes bill to recall politicians
By JAKE ZUCKERMAN Charleston Gazette-Mail CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Less than a week has passed since Gov. Jim Justice switched his registration to the Republican Party, and one state Senate Democrat is already thinking about the path to a recall vote. Sen. Richard Ojeda, D-Logan, is drumming up support for a[Read More…]