Opinions
Automated voter registration will be implemented responsibly to avoid disenfranchising voters
CHARLESTON – Multiagency coordination is under way between lawmakers, Department of Motor Vehicles, Secretary of State, county clerks and the governor to provide West Virginia new systems to implement “opt-out” Automated Voter Registration. The process is technical, and needs to be done properly to protect against voter disenfranchisement that has occurred during implementation in other states due to old systems, gaps in technology and human error.
Want to help feed the hungry? Donate your deer this hunting season
In 2018, hunters once again stepped up to the challenge, donating 685 deer to the program resulting in 24,378 pounds of venison.
Grease at a ‘greasy spoon’? What a surprise!
Is any fast food fan so obtuse as to not know the obvious hazards associated with facilities offering such fare?
State lawmakers shouldn't waste millions on an unnecessary intermediate court
CHARLESTON – West Virginia's legislative leaders say that they want to reduce the size of state government and eliminate government waste. If that's the case, then why do they want to add a whole new layer of government to our judicial branch that will waste millions in our tax dollars? We don't need an intermediate court.
Our lawsuit climate is in a holding pattern
Ever feel like you’re just treading water, not really getting anywhere? It’s discouraging. Still, it beats the hell out of being swept downstream and over the falls.
It’s time to get our communities 'vote ready'
CHARLESTON – On this National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 24, the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Elections Office looks forward to efforts which get our communities “vote ready.”
Affirming the rights of states and landowners
The original WOTUS rule proposed to interpret the terms “navigable waters” and “bodies of water” so broadly that they could be applied to every inch of every acre in every state in America – no matter how dry or unnavigable.
This Constitution Day, protect your right to trial by jury
CHARLESTON – Sept. 17 is Constitution Day and an opportunity to celebrate our rights enshrined there. One of the most important is trial by jury. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I consider [trial by jury] as the only anchor yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.”
Opioid regulator Joe Rannazzisi, hero or villain?
What if Big Pharma is not to blame for the opioid crisis? What if it wasn’t the big bad drug companies that created and exacerbated the problem, but the politicians and government officials pretending to be the good guys?
Congress must support West Virginia farmers, ratify USMCA
We can no longer allow foreign nations to use the American farmer as a trade pawn. The farming community has waited long enough.
The VA needs to protect the medical records of veterans
The VA has a responsibility to ensure the confidentiality of all veteran records, and the persons responsible for any breach should be held accountable.
West Virginians benefit from Senate Bill 1, comprehensive education reform
CHARLESTON – When I became West Virginia Lieutenant Governor and Senate President, I vowed to make education a priority. To me, those weren’t just empty political words. I knew in order to move our state forward, we had to abandon the failed policies of the past, end the days of playing politics with our children’s education and commit to passing meaningful reform.
Rural economy enhancements required to move West Virginia forward
Our nation’s leaders are looking to modernize existing broadband infrastructure to help foster economic growth, as well as tap into emerging industries and markets. If our state cannot catch up to the rest of the nation, we once again look to be left behind.
Opioid ‘solution’ may be worse than the problem
Let’s hope West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's recent litigation on our behalf is not motivated by an opportunistic desire to exploit a crisis and swell state coffers by shaking down legitimate companies that may have had little or nothing to do with the crisis.
Homelessness label grabs attention, but may obscure real issues
CHARLESTON – Words are powerful, and they have a particular power when it comes to public policy. As we talk about problems we face in our communities and propose solutions, we have a responsibility to use words precisely and responsibly to describe our world as it is.
Proud to be a coal miner’s warriors
Truth be told, those who have grown up in West Virginia and Kentucky are sons and daughters of coal miners in a way – if not genetically, then psychologically at least, as grateful beneficiaries of the hard work they’ve done throughout their lifetimes.
Nothing to fear from three public charter schools
CHARLESTON – There is no greater responsibility of state government than to provide a thorough education for our children. American leaders from every generation have recognized the importance of a world-class, public education.
When judges ignore the law
Plaintiffs attorneys governments across the country in a proposed opioid class action suit are trying to persuade U.S. District Judge Dan Polster to create a “negotiation class” that would empower them to act on behalf of every city and country government in the country and decide amongst themselves how settlement funds are distributed.
Back to school means even more this year
Carmichael says education reform brings needed changes
West Virginia should recover money from Frontier's improper actions
Frontier’s actions have cost the State of West Virginia approximately $5,000,000