Illinois State Senate
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Recent News About Illinois State Senate
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Zobrist elected to WV CALA leadership role
CHARLESTON – West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse's board of directors has elected Greenbrier County small business owner Duane Zobrist to serve as board chairman again for 2016. -
Wooton running for state Supreme Court seat
BECKLEY – Former state legislator William R. “Bill” Wooton has announced plans to run for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. “It is with humility that I offer myself as a candidate for justice of the state Supreme Court,” Wooton, 71, said. “I have extraordinary respect for this body and the work that the justices do for West Virginia. -
House votes to stop new EPA power plant rules
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives, including West Virginia’s delegation, voted Tuesday to void Environmental Protection Agency regulations for new and existing power plants. The House voted 242-180 to repeal the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which puts carbon emissions limits on existing plants, and 235-188 to block the federal agency’s rules governing emissions from new plants. -
A letter to Secretary Kerry
Sending a letter to a public official is a good way to let him know how you feel. Sending copies of that letter to other officials is a good way to let him know you mean to be taken seriously. -
Calif. governor says Morrisey, Texas AG grandstanding on climate issue
SACRAMENTO – California Gov. Jerry Brown says the attorneys general of West Virginia and Texas are guilty of “crass obstructionism” as they seek to gain momentum against President Obama’s environmental agenda. Last week, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Texas AG Ken Paxton sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry in advance of next month’s United Nations climate summit also known as Paris 2015 and COP21. -
Morrisey, Texas AG urge feds before climate summit
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, together with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is calling upon U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to fully acknowledge the legal limits faced by President Obama’s environmental agenda as the secretary negotiates at the upcoming United Nations summit on climate change, also known as Paris 2015 and COP21. -
Manchin breaks ranks, votes to stop EPA coal regulations
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin broke rank with fellow Democrats and voted Tuesday to pass a resolution to stop the Obama administration from imposing anti-coal regulations on new coal-fired power plants West Virginia’s senior senator also voted to pass a separate resolution, introduced by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., to prevent the administration from moving forward with its proposed anti-coal regulations for existing coal-fired plants. -
Judge denies bid to block deposition of EPA chief in coal case
WHEELING – A federal judge has ruled that U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy will be deposed in a lawsuit about coal mining regulations despite a bid by the agency to block it. On Nov. 12, Judge John Preston Bailey ruled that McCarthy’s involvement with Clean Air Act regulations means she is relevant enough to be deposed. -
Build the state's economy from the ground up
WASHINGTON – West Virginia’s economy is facing difficult times. -
Capito, Manchin vote to block ‘overreaching’ EPA ‘Waters’ rule
WASHINGTON – West Virginia’s Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin were among those U.S. senators who, on Tuesday, voted in favor of a measure that would effectively kill the Environmental Protection Agency’s new “Waters of the United States” rule. -
Obama and his EPA Grinches
“Just this morning, nearly 200 West Virginia coal miners in Randolph County were informed that their jobs would be gone by Christmas,” Republican U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito lamented last Tuesday as she discussed the bipartisan resolution of disapproval that she and Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota had introduced in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Clean Power Plan regulations for existing power sources. -
Capito tells Senate why she disapproves of EPA Clean Power Plan
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito vocalized her reasons on the Senate floor for the bipartisan resolution of disapproval she and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp introduced for the EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan regulations for existing power sources. Capito (R.-W.Va.), spoke Tuesday as part of a colloquy with Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Environmental and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Steve Daines -
Cole, Armstead receive national legal reform award
WASHINGTON – West Virginia Senate President Bill Cole and House of Delegates Speaker Tim Armstead have been given an award for their contributions to reforming the state’s civil justice system. Cole and Armstead received the 2015 State Legislative Achievement Award at the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s (ILR) 16th Annual Legal Reform Summit on Oct. 27. -
It's time to bring W.Va. lawsuit appeals in line with the rest of the nation
CHARLESTON – In a number of respects, West Virginia’s civil justice system is finally beginning to come in line with other states across the country, thanks to the hard work and leadership of the West Virginia Legislature, especially State Senate President Bill Cole and House Speaker Tim Armstead. -
Attorney Tom Ewing announces State Senate campaign
LANSING – Local attorney Tom Ewing has announced the start of his Republican campaign for State Senate in the 10th District. Ewing made the announcement of his first run for public office Oct. 8 at Chetty’s Pub in Fayette County. -
Higgins says his AG qualifications 'speak for themselves'
CHARLESTON – West Virginia Attorney General candidate David K. Higgins says his qualifications for the office speak for themselves. Higgins, an attorney at Robinson & McElwee, said he has experience in handling tax litigation and litigation involving the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act. -
Armstead, Cole already planning for 2016 legislative session
CHARLESTON – As West Virginia's 2016 legislative session nears, the state's top legislators are setting their priorities for the upcoming term. -
UPDATE: WV CALA kicks off Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week
CHARLESTON – A statewide legal reform group is using an annual event to raise awareness of lawsuit abuse to also highlight reforms happening in West Virginia. West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse on Monday kicked off its annual Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week, which is meant "to help raise awareness about abusive lawsuits and the tactics of greedy personal injury lawyers, and highlight recently passed lawsuit reforms." WV CALA Executive Director Roman Stauffer said his organization aims t -
New prevailing wage rates, same old problems
MORGANTOWN – West Virginia’s political leaders, contractors and labor representatives have been arguing for months now over prevailing wage, the hourly pay and benefits that the state determines should be paid to workers on state taxpayer-funded projects. -
Morrisey backs Legislature's probe into Planned Parenthood funding
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has issued public support of the state Legislature's investigation into Planned Parentood in the state. In a press release, Morrisey said he sent a letter to West Virginia Senate President Bill Cole and Speaker Tim Armstead in support of the Legislature’s efforts to investigate Planned Parenthood operations in West Virginia. Videos released by the Center for Medical Progress alleging that Planned Parenthood has sold fetal organs and