Opinions
What’s not to like about a Judge Richard Neely?
“No one wants to bring back the bad old days of jackpot justice, including when Richard Neely was on the court. West Virginians don’t want more runaway verdicts and embarrassing actions and rhetoric from greedy personal injury lawyers like Richard Neely.”
President Trump will be re-elected in 2020
CHARLESTON – With respect to a recent op-ed penned by my friend and former Mayor of Charleston Danny Jones, President Trump will be re-elected in 2020. Not only will President Trump be re-elected, but he will also prevail by a larger margin in 2020 than in 2016.
It’s time for green revolutionaries to admit defeat
You can’t accuse the facile foes of fossil fuels of lacking energy. Knowledge or logic or honesty, yes. Energy, no. Whether it’s generated by lots of wind or the product of biomass hysteria, they’ve got plenty of energy. They never give up.
Our unrelenting fight against robocalls
These calls are more than an aggravation – they are dangerous. That is because oftentimes the caller is a thief attempting to steal your money and personal, identifiable information.
We’re enjoying Richard Neely’s retirement, and so should he
The problem with Richard Neely’s “real experience” is the same as Darrell McGraw’s: we had to live through it, too. We’re old enough to remember it, not old enough to have forgotten.
Local newspapers continue to keep us informed
WASHINGTON – For as long as our great nation has existed, newspapers have been part of the fabric that strengthens our democracy and makes our communities stronger.
Scaremongering lawyers should be disciplined
Lawyers running anti-drug commercials should be held accountable for their claims. If they can’t substantiate those claims, they should be forced to compensate the companies whose sales they’ve depressed and the drug users whose health they’ve impaired.
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.