Inside West Virginia Politics

West Virginia sees steady rate of unemployment decreaseIn Segment 1, Steve Roberts, The President of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, recently had an op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail titled “WV coming out of economic slumber.” Robert discusses how West Virginia is seeing some good signs such as an unemployment rate below the national average, steadily-increasing workforce participation and an economy that is improving faster than the national average. Despite these positive signs, many companies are still looking for workers and are even offering sign-up incentives to attract people to sign up. Roberts says this may be because there are not enough workers for those jobs.  Live on the Levee boosts tourism in Charleston In Segment 2, Jim Strawn, the MC for “Live on the Levee” discusses how successful the live music events and vendors are this summer.Strawn says the event brings in business for Charleston and small business owners in the area. Some attendees travel a good distance to enjoy their time a

In Segment 1, West Virginia COVID-19 Czar, Dr. Clay Marsh to discuss the state of the virus in the Mountain State. As of Thursday, July 22, the state saw a 60% increase in Delta variant cases, going from 22 to 35 cases overnight, and active virus cases continue to climb.Marsh says this increase is “probably just the beginning” of the Delta variant’s impact on the state. He also believes the overall increase in cases is due to people becoming more “lax” on wearing masks and social distancing, although the state’s mask mandate was lifted just over one month ago on June 20, West Virginia Day. He says this is due, in part, to the number of West Virginians still unvaccinated against the virus. As of Monday, July 26, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported that 67.7% of the state’s eligible population has begun the vaccination process and 56.2% of those eligible for the vaccine are fully vaccinated.Marsh also encouraged people, even those who are vaccinated, to continue wearing masks in

What is the Hope Scholarship? In Segment 1, West Virginia’s Treasurer Riley Moore discusses the Hope Scholarship. According to Moore, the Hope Scholarship Program is an education savings account that allows parents to receive $4,600 per-pupil state funding already set aside for their children’s education onto an electronic, parent-controlled fund for educational expenses. Those expenses can include private school tuition, tutoring, credentialing, therapies, transportation and more. This program can also allow parents to take students out of traditional schooling and use that money to help home-school them. For years, the teachers’ unions in the state effectively fought and defeated bills for the program. They worry that it’s diverting public money from the public education system and will only hurt the public schools’ system by taking money away and putting it in the private school system. Moore says this money is from state funding, not federal funding. Teachers will not lose federal money in schools.“The [s

How the American Families Plan can improve 90% of West Virginian kids’ livesIn Segment 1, Congress is returning to Washington on Monday, July 12, and Seth DiStefano, the Policy Outreach Director at the West Virginia Center of Budget and Policy, discusses why Congress should prioritize the American Families Plan. In July, families with children will begin to see checks as part of the refundable tax credit passed earlier in 2021. According to White House officials, “The American Families Plan will extend key tax cuts in the American Rescue Plan that benefit lower- and middle-income workers and families, including the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.”DiStefano says these checks can help improve the lives of 90% of West Virginian kids. How do we solve West Virginia’s hunger problem?In Segment 2, Caitlin Cook, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at Mountaineer Food Bank, discusses food insecurity in West Virginia and how a bipartisan group may be the s

How the infrastructure bill will reconnect West Virginia to the United StatesIn Segment 1, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) talks about the infrastructure bill. Manchin is in the bipartisan group. He said the $1.2 trillion investment will go into repairing bridges, making the Cardinal Rail system ready for daily use, expanding broadband, installing charging stations for electric vehicles and upgrading lead pipes, water and airports systems. Manchin also said he voted yes for the “For the People” Act to pass through procedurally because he had a “guarantee” that the alternate bill he wrote up would get done based on West Virginia Code and Law. What will the Equality Act do?In Segment 2, Andrew Schneider, the Executive Director of Fairness West Virginia, discusses the Federal Equality Act and the possible vote on it in both houses of Congress before the end of the summer. The Equality Act will update the federal civil rights act of 1964. It clarifies the Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County and pr

In Segment 1, former long-time West Virginia legislator Rick Staton (D) joins us to talk about the “For the People Act.”Staton says he is in favor of the “For the People Act” and believes its provisions would stop states from making alleged attempts at voter suppression and create more uniformity in the voting process. He also says he hopes that should the bill pass, it will be upheld by the courts if it is challenged.The former West Virginia delegate says he is also in favor of the provision that would eliminate “dark money” that goes toward Super-PACs such as 501-C-4 corporations but is then not publicly accounted for, meaning voters are left in the dark about where that money is going and what it is being used for.Staton does say while he understands that some voting issues are state level, but that he believes when people are waiting in line for three hours for a chance to vote, there may be an issue with how those precincts are configured and it might be time for the government to step in and help.In Seg

How to make people stay in West VirginiaIn Segment 1, Delegate Dana Ferrell (R) Kanawha County makes his first appearance on Inside West Virginia Politics and discusses economic development possibilities in West Virginia after an AP article was published saying West Virginia had gone down population-wise. He also discusses his association with Phillips Global, a company that says they have 150 jobs available in Beckley, WV. What the West Virginia National Guard’s focus has been so far in 2021In Segment 2, Brig. Gen. William “Bill” E. Crane, the Adjutant General for the West Virginia Joint Forces Headquarters, talks about all the things the Guard has done within the last six months, such as COVID-19 vaccinations and defense of the Capitol since the insurrection on Jan. 6.West Virginia National Guard travels to Qatar to advise on World Cup safety responseIn Segment 3, Brig. Gen. William “Bill” E. Crane, the Adjutant General for the West Virginia Joint Forces Headquarters, discusses military recruitment, helping

‘Much needed’ $150 million to fix West Virginia roadsIn Segment 1, Del. Lisa Zukoff (D) from Marshall County discusses Governor Jim Justice’s request to move $150 million from the general fund to the road fund. She says the money is “much needed” in her district.“We are a big county; we have oil and gas development still going on. A lot of big trucks in our community, which takes its toll on the roads,” said Zukoff. In 2019, Justice acknowledged that Marshall County had the worst roads in the state and declared a state of emergency. It worked, and it helped bring additional funds for the county to help fix the roads, but Zukoff says a lot more work needs to be done.The Department of Transportation says there are 400 road projects throughout West Virginia. Zukoff says some road projects are needed such as on Route 250, on Boggs Dam Road in her district, and the Kammer plant on Route 2. “That’s $3.4 million worth of work,” said Zukoff.  The importance of repairing West Virginia roadsIn Segment 2, Del. Daniel Li

‘Will rates go up? Of course they will’: The impact of Mitchell Power Plant closureIn Segment 1, U.S. Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) from West Virginia’s 1st District visited Charleston to testify before the Public Service Commission regarding the potential closure of the Mitchell Power Plant in Marshall County. At this time, there are two options: shut down in 2028 or shut down in 2040. McKinley says things to be considered before closures are its economic effects for that area and National security. “Is the issue of what effect is that going to have, the closure of the Mitchell power plant,” said McKinley. “We don’t have a replication of what happened down in Texas when they lost power for weeks on end.” According to McKinley, the market that controls electricity on the east coast is called PJM. PJM only has about 10% of its power grid in renewable energy. West Virginia is in the process of making a transition over to renewable energies. “We want to make sure that during this transition period of time, plants l

What has changed in WV since George Floyd’s death?In Segment 1, 13 News Reporter Moriah Davis shares Charleston’s black community’s thoughts on what has changed what hasn’t changed since the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.Tuesday, May 25th marked the first anniversary of Floyd’s death.The horrible incident was caught on video and police body cameras, which lead to nationwide outrage demanding justice for police reform, including here in West Virginia.People in the community say they haven’t seen many changes within the city, but what has changed is how people fight for their rights behind the scenes.The death of George Floyd also sparked renewed calls for the removal of the Stonewall Jackson Statue from capitol grounds. 13 News Reporter Larisa Casillas spoke with activist James Cochran, who was in the thick of the efforts surrounding removing the Stonewall Jackson statue, organizing rallies, collecting thousands of signatures on a petition, and even fasting in front of i

‘We’re giving it the old college try’ Sen. Capito discusses President Biden’s infrastructure billIn Segment 1, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is the Republican lead for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill and how they are trying to aim for bipartisanship on the bill.“We’re giving it the old college try,” said Sen. Capito.While Biden wants to spend $2.3 trillion on the bill, Republicans, including Capito, want to spend $568 million. Capito says the infrastructure bill should only include roads, bridges, water, airports, rails and broadband. While Biden agrees with this, he’s also added several social infrastructures such as Medicaid, home health, building schools and homes.Capito discusses Reta Mays sentencing and $300M from infrastructure billIn Segment 2, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) discusses the Reta Mays sentencing and how the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Clarksburg failed the victims and their families.Capito also discusses the $300 million West Virginia will receive as

Gayle Manchin becomes first West Virginian to co-chair Appalachian Regional CommissionIn Segment 1, Gayle Manchin, new co-chair of Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) thirteenth federal co-chair, talks with hosts Mark Curtis about what ARC is about and how it began after former President John F. Kennedy visited West Virginia. Manchin was the former First-Lady of West Virginia, former President of the Board of Education, and is currently the first ARC federal co-chair from West Virginia.How Corridor H may lead to more tourism in West VirginiaIn Segment 2, Gayle Manchin discusses how the Appalachian Regional Commission is assisting with the construction of Route 48, commonly known as Corridor H, and the significance of the route.Corridor H would extend from Interstate 79 (I-79) in Weston, West Virginia, eastward across the crest of the Allegheny Mountains to I-81 in Strasburg, Virginia. Doing so would shorten the trip to Washington D.C. by an estimated one hour and allow tourism to flourish in West Virginia

What political issues currently affect West Virginia citizens?In Segment 1, Gary Zuckett, Executive Director of the West Virginia Citizen Action Group, talks about key political issues that affect citizens of the Mountain State, including the Reclaim Act, For the People Act, and Medicare.For more information, you can visit the official WV Citizen Action Group website.The new common COVID-19 variant in WVIn Segment 2, Dr. Clay Marsh, the COVID-19 Czar in West Virginia, discusses the latest coronavirus news in the Mountain State, such as how the United Kingdom variant of COVID-19 is becoming the most common variant of the United States and in West Virginia.According to Marsh, The U.K. variant is 50% more infectious and lethal, along with a higher chance for children to get it, which is the state’s focus on vaccinations have switched toward getting them vaccinated.Getting ready for COVID-19 vaccinations for 12-to-15 year-oldsIn Segment 3, Dr. Ayne Amjad, West Virginia Public Health Officer, talks about the Joint

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — This week on Inside West Virginia Politics, officials from West Virginia and beyond discuss President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, how West Virginia is expanding broadband, and how a donation to a university in West Virginia will help undergrad students. Is Biden’s infrastructure bill a pork barrel spending bill? In Segment 1, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R) Kentucky shares his concerns about the $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill proposed by President Joe Biden on top of the $6 trillion spendings related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul said Republicans want bipartisan support to have the infrastructure bill focus on repairing and replacing roads and bridges. However, Paul says the infrastructure bill is being used as a “pork barrel spending bill” due to board terms within the bill to include childcare, reparations and medicare. Republican Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has an alternative plan which includes a $700 billion infrastructure plan that would focus on roads and bridges. “If we ma

In Segment 1, Brad McElhinney of WV Metro News joins us, with a surprise appearance from his dog, to talk about the “weird” differences in covering this year’s legislative session, which was closed to the public during the pandemic. This year, the news media covered the session from above in the galleries for social distancing, a major change from years past when reporters were stationed on the ground floor closer to the legislators.McElhinney says the overriding headline of the session was the governor’s proposed removal of the state income tax, which caused a stir with the suggested sales tax increase to offset the loss of revenue. If the bill had passed, the state would have had the highest sales tax in the country. The bill was shut down in the House of Delegates with a 0-100 vote within hours of the governor saying the House wouldn’t vote on the bill.In Segment 2, Brad McElhinney of WV Metro News returns to our reporters’ roundtable to discuss more highlights of the legislative session, including Educati

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — On this week’s Inside West Virginia Politics, many government officials wrap up the 2021 legislative session, including discussing Gov. Jim Justice’s personal income tax reduction plan and how it failed to pass through the House with 0 yeas to 100 nays.In Segment 1, Del. Roger Hanshaw (R) Clay, Speaker of the House, discusses the highlights of the West Virginia 2021 legislative session, including:Passing state budgeting within 60 days with no extra expense to taxpayersPassing a state bill that creates an immediate court of appeals,The 0 – 100 vote that rejected Gov. Jim Justice’s personal income tax deduction bill,expansion of previous bills to allow more telehealth and improvements on internet access in West Virginia.In Segment 2, Minority Leader Del. Doug Skaff (D), Kanawha, gives thoughts on how the 2021 legislative session went this year.According to Skaff, the House and Senate “could have done more” for specific bills, including giving women equal pay and investing in higher educa

In Segment 1, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin discusses the ‘human crisis’ at the U.S./Mexico border after visiting there last week.Manchin suggests what needs to be fixed with the immigration problem, pointing to the criminal element of immigration in which the Cartel is profiting off human suffering.The Senator also talks about why he’s against a single infrastructure bill that would incorporate everything in one package. “We need to separate it — we need to get back to regular order. We need to get all in the input we can from 100 senators — the majority and the minority,” said Manchin.In Segment 2, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin discusses the importance of voter rights and the need to evolve them to allow convenience for voting.This comes after the 2020 Presidential Election allowed mail-in votes due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns.In Segment 3, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey talks about the 13 state lawsuit against the Biden Administration and the U.S. Treasury over a provision in the federal stimulus

In Segment 1, Bishop Michie Klusmeyer of the West Virginia Diocese makes an appearance as he shares this Easter theme of finding hope and keeping faith during the pandemic.Visit the West Virginia Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston website here.In Segment 2, Rabbi Victor Urecki of the B’nai Jacob Synagogue in Charleston speaks of the significance of the story of Passover in the Jewish faith and how, through that story, important it is to know your history and your identity, as well as the importance of patience.“In broader strokes, the ideas of Passover are almost universal in it’s messages. A universal message of hope, the idea of liberation, the idea of taking care of the stranger,” said Rabbi Victor Urecki, B’nai Jacob Synagogue.Visit the Congregation B’nai Jacob website here.In Segment 3, Imam Nasir Abdussalem of the Islamic Association of West Virginia continues the conversation of practicing and exercising patience through difficult times.Ramadan starts on April 12 and Abdussalem says the idea behind the hol

In Segment 1, Delegate Joey Garcia (D-Marion County) stops by to talk about an op-ed he co-wrote with John Williams (D-Monongalia) called “If You Build It, They Will Stay,” and what it means for the state.The delegates say they want to work toward keeping young West Virginians in the state and that starts with rebuilding, specifically in roads, broadband and education. Garcia says they include roads in this because of the shape of some of the state’s secondary roads, some of which are almost impassable. He says the state needs to make sure the money that has been put toward the roads is spread more evenly throughout the state.Garcia says another major factor is education, starting with attracting and retaining qualified people to teach students, including providing teachers with better salaries. Another plan is to help those going to trade and technical schools instead of four-year colleges with programs such as the Jumpstart Savings Act.In Segment 2, we focus on healthcare in politics with Dan Lauffer, Presi

In segment one, Jim Kaufman, President and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association, joins us as we overview how hospitals are doing during the pandemic after the miscount of reported COVID-19 deaths.Early in March, Health officials have identified 165 deaths related to COVID-19 that were unreported. Kaufman says paperwork flow and human error were the main causes of the unreported deaths.Kaufman addresses the issue, saying that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) did an audit of the deaths associated with COVID-19 and said they were able to identify the issue and made sure they were accurate.In Segment two, Jim Kaufman, President and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association, says many West Virginia hospitals in our area have been suffering a “financial shortfall” of $400 million between March 2020 and March 2021.The latest COVID-19 aid bill from Congress provides $8.3 billion for hospitals nationwide and it couldn’t come soon enough. Kaufman says a lot of revenue was l