Hoppy Kercheval News
Under the Capitol dome, West Virginia Republicans lack consistency
For years, Republicans complained when the Democrats were in charge that they could do whatever they wanted. The minority voice was like spitting in the wind, and GOP complaints about one party rule were legitimate.
Manchin's 'sugar high' with Republicans didn't last
MORGANTOWN – Senator Joe Manchin’s roller coaster poll numbers have taken another dip. Morning Consult reports this week that the West Virginia Democrat is now underwater, with a disapproval rating of 51 percent and an approval rating of just 42 percent.
Babydog's backside backfires
P.T. Barnum had the famous circus dwarf “General Tom Thumb.” West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has Babydog, the family’s English bulldog.
Keep the filibuster
Eliminating the filibuster would plunge the Senate, and thus governance, deeper into the mire of tribal politics. All desire for bipartisanship would be lost. The only motivation for each party would be to secure enough seats in the next election to have a majority.
First lawsuit in VA hospital deaths seeks accountability
MORGANTOWN – The first lawsuit over the suspicious deaths at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Hospital in Clarksburg has been filed. This is the first of many.
Justice gets out from under federal investigation
MORGANTOWN – Being under federal investigation is the legal equivalent of having a dormant virus; You are never quite sure when or if anything is going to come of it.
West Virginia’s opioid settlement with McKesson is best case scenario
MORGANTOWN – West Virginia is one of the states hit hardest by the opioid crisis. The American Enterprise Institute estimates the annual cost to the state is $8.8 billion annually.
Thrasher expected to enter governor's race
MORGANTOWN – Woody Thrasher, who Gov Jim Justice forced out as Commerce Secretary last year, is said to be seriously considering running for Governor. Thrasher won’t comment on his possible candidacy, but the smart money is on him getting in the race.
Manchin vs. Justice: Shootout at the Statehouse Corral
Jim Justice and Joe Manchin are big men — literally and figuratively. They dominate state politics. And, although they once played on the same team and enjoyed each other’s support, they are now rivals, set on a potential collision course in 2020.
The end of the session is here ... thankfully, now to begin 'betterment' of public education
CHARLESTON – The 2019 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature came to an end at midnight Saturday, and just in time. It’s hard to recall when there was such acrimony among lawmakers under the Capitol dome.
The state Supreme Court gets the message
CHARLESTON – Breaking news: The other day, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Beth Walker and Justices Tim Armstead and Evan Jenkins were having lunch together in the cafeteria in the basement of the state Capitol, and they paid for their own meals!
New chairs of education committees will have their hands full
MORGANTOWN – When the 2019 legislative session begins later this month, we should watch even more closely than usual what happens on the education front, particularly with two new committee chairs.
How Joe Manchin won
MORGANTOWN – Months before the 2018 General Election, politicos wondered how Democratic Senator Joe Manchin could win re-election in a state that had flipped to red and given Donald Trump a 42-point victory over Hillary Clinton. Early on, Manchin was tagged with the “vulnerable Democrat” label.
Poll tells us more about Manchin-Morrisey race
Poll tells us more about Manchin-Morrisey race
Robin Davis’s tone deaf parting shots
MORGANTOWN – The opening sentences of Robin Davis’s letter of resignation as a state Supreme Court Justice read as follows: “I deliver this statement today in dismay, disbelief, and in sadness. I feel profound grief for the State of West Virginia given the current state of affairs.”
Allen Loughry and 'The Sordid and Continuing History of Political Corruption in WV'
MORGANTOWN – One of the books in my office that I reference often is by Allen Loughry. “Don’t Buy Another Vote. I Won’t Pay for a Landslide. The Sordid and Continuing History of Political Corruption in West Virginia.”
Speculation rampant over Supreme Court investigation
CHARLESTON – The State Capitol was buzzing with speculation and rumors last week about the West Virginia Supreme Court and a federal grand jury investigation. Reporters were busy trying to separate fact from fiction, and that was a challenge.
Supreme Court spending controversy triggers shake-up
MORGANTOWN – West Virginia MetroNews statewide correspondent Brad McElhinny reported last Friday, “a rumor has been circulating in recent days that federal authorities have been interviewing (State Supreme) Court officials.”
2018 GOP primary for U.S. Senate race heats up early
MORGANTOWN – West Virginia’s political migration from blue to red means the Republican Party increasingly faces prospects of contested Primary Elections. Last week, West Virginia Wesleyan Political Science Professor Robert Rupp wrote, “As recently as a decade ago the idea of a contentious Republican primary was unthinkable given the weak state of the GOP state party.”
Justice Walker's spotlight moment
CHARLESTON – The West Virginia State Supreme Court is revisiting a controversial decision made last year impacting the amount of money natural gas companies pay to certain royalty owners.