West Virginia’s Supreme Court Car Fire
We don’t always get the government we want, but is it too much to ask the government to be good, efficient and effective?
Read moreImpeachment Threads To Watch
Digging Deeper: By Dan Heyman
[Editors Note: this article was originally published September 13th, before the senate voted on Oct 2nd not to convict Justice Davis]
Charleston, WV – The actual impeachment of one retired and three current (one suspended) West Virginia Supreme Court justices starts this week. Motions to dismiss the articles against three of the justices have failed, so now – while we are waiting for the hearing of evidence – is a good moment to pause and pull some of the threads out of what is happening.
Read moreOne Job Jim Justice Created
Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Jim Justice. It was one of the few policy position Jim Justice was pretty clear about in the 2016 Election. It's a pretty safe thing for a politicians to promise. Everyone either wants a job, or wants a better job. Well, revenue may be up, but according to Google's Unemployment Tracker, Unemployment went from 5.3 in January of 2017 when Justice was inaugurated to 5.4 in March of 2018 (the latest data Google provides). But there is one job Jim Justice has created that he can't seem to fill.
Read moreUntil You See It First Hand: Interview with Former Delegate Bil Flanigan
Digging Deeper: By Dan Heyman
In 2016, Bill Flanigan made his first speech on the floor of the legislature. Flanigan had been named by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin as a Republican Delegate to fill an empty seat in Monongalia County, and he spoke passionately about how medical cannabis had helped him deal with his cancer treatment. Observers credited that speech with helping to kill a bill that would have increased mandatory sentences for people caught with marijuana.
Read moreWV Dark Money Group Charged With Breaking Election Spending Laws
Digging Deeper: By Dan Heyman
UPDATE: GO West Virginia has just hosted a fundraiser at the Greenbrier reportedly attended by a number of lawmakers and corporate donors. According to an invitation passed on to Phil Kabler at the Charleston Gazette, donors who paid up to $50,000 each could attend a cookout and cocktail reception with lawmakers and play rounds of golf with them. High end donations also included a stay over at the Greenbrier.
Read moreWV Legislative Leaders Double Down To Defeat Democracy
Morsels Of Truth: By Bil Lepp
Is West Virginia the only state to ever impeach its entire Supreme Court? And to do in such a way that voters don’t get a say on it for two years? Governor Justice hates bad press, and hates it when West Virginia is ranked last. Well, here’s a first Jim. Your buddies in the the legislature are possibly going to be the first state legislature to fire an entire State’s Supreme Court.
Read moreImpeachment Gets Complicated: Investigations Wrap Up And Lawmakers Prepare Actions
Digging Deeper: By Dan Heyman
Charleston, WV – As impeachment moves to the full House of Delegates it’s likely to get complicated. The house Judiciary Committee voted to approve fourteen or sixteen articles of impeachment Tuesday, taking the process out of investigations and hearings, and moving towards action.
Read moreThe Road Less Paved
The passage of the "Roads To Prosperity" road bond ballot issue was one of the proudest moments of Governor Justice's administration. At the time the Governor's office released an ambitious list of projects that would be completed if the road bond passed.
Who Gets Impeached?
Digging Deeper By Dan Heyman
Charleston, WV – A major fight looks to be brewing over who from the state Supreme Court will be impeached, as the House Judiciary Committee gets ready to write the formal legislation to do that. Members of the committee say there are sharp partisan divisions over what is supposed to be a non-partisan court just beneath the surface.
Read moreThe Plodding Plotting Parliament Asks for Overtime
Morsels Of Truth by Bil Lepp
West Virginia legislators make $20,000 for the sixty day regular legislative period. That’s $333 a day.
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