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West Virginia Watch
The West Virginia Legislature continues to ignore acting on actual problems
Update: The House of Delegates passed House Bill 5180 with Raylee’s Law as an amendment on Tuesday afternoon. The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration. Following the West Virginia Legislature is kind of like riding a rollercoaster, except it’s mostly lows and there’s nothing enjoyable about it. Last week, they really fooled […] The post The West Virginia Legislature continues to ignore acting on actual problems appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Senate approves removing marital exemption for sexual abuse from state code
For the first time in state history, spouses could soon be charged with sexual abuse against their partners if a bill passed by the state Senate on Monday is accepted and passed by the House. Senate Bill 190 would eliminate marriage as a defense for first- and third-degree sexual assault by striking out language in […] The post Senate approves removing marital exemption for sexual abuse from state code appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
House advances bill to allow religious exemptions for school-mandated vaccines
The West Virginia House of Delegates on Monday advanced legislation that would allow students to be exempted from school-mandated vaccines for religious reasons. Delegates passed House Bill 5105 with a 57 to 41 vote after more than an hour and a half of debate. As introduced, the bill would have allowed an exemption to school-mandated […] The post House advances bill to allow religious exemptions for school-mandated vaccines appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Citing border crisis, House votes to deny restitution to undocumented immigrants who are trafficked
Undocumented immigrants who become victims of human trafficking or smuggling in West Virginia wouldn’t be eligible for financial restitution, according to a bill that passed out of the House of Delegates on Monday. House Bill 5031 would alter state laws on human trafficking and put penalties for human smuggling of undocumented immigrants on the same […] The post Citing border crisis, House votes to deny restitution to undocumented immigrants who are trafficked appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden and Trump both heading to the southern border on Thursday
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will visit the southern border in Texas on Thursday, according to a White House official, the same day as the GOP presidential front-runner, Donald Trump. Their visits are a sign of the importance the immigration issue has assumed in what’s expected to be a 2024 rematch in November between Biden […] The post Biden and Trump both heading to the southern border on Thursday appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
‘Our voice is not heard’ — State’s foster care crisis not reflected in legislation
In 2017, Michelle Davis opened her Charleston home up as a foster parent — a decision she made after learning the state had the nation’s highest rate of children coming into foster care. And there was a shortage of homes for them. “We call it their safe place,” said Davis, 51, who went on to […] The post ‘Our voice is not heard’ — State’s foster care crisis not reflected in legislation appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Retracted studies the latest in a decadeslong abortion-science fight
Chris Adkins is worried. The Georgia pharmaceutical sciences professor who sparked an investigation into scientific studies that led to recent news-making retractions is worried about the “appropriate legal action” researchers have vaguely told media outlets they’re pursuing. But even more than being sued, Adkins is worried it might be too late to correct the scientific […] The post Retracted studies the latest in a decadeslong abortion-science fight appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Senate to consider bills to restrict unemployment benefits
Senate Bill 840 would lower the maximum number of weeks a person may receive unemployment benefits from 26 to to 20 depending on the state’s average unemployment rate. It would limit unemployment benefits to 12 weeks if the state’s unemployment rate is below 5.5% and increase the limit incrementally based on the employment rate to a max of 20 weeks when the unemployment rate is at or above 9%. Senate Bill 841 would lower the maximum weekly benefit rate from 66 and ⅔ of the average weekly wage in West Virginia to 55 percent of the average weekly wage in West Virginia, with a maximum cap of $550 per week. The post Senate to consider bills to restrict unemployment benefits appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
House to consider a total ban on gender-affirming care for adolescents
The West Virginia House of Delegates will consider a total ban on gender-affirming care that would leave children diagnosed with gender dysphoria who are at risk of harming themselves with no in-state medical care options. The bill comes less than a year after Gov. Jim Justice signed a ban on gender-affirming care for minors in […] The post House to consider a total ban on gender-affirming care for adolescents appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
WV Senate passes bill increasing SNAP work requirements, sends Crown Act to finance committee
The West Virginia Senate on Friday signed off on a bill that would increase the work and training requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called food stamps. Senators voted 32 to 2 to pass Senate Bill 562. With some exceptions, able-bodied people without kids ages 18 through 53 are required to […] The post WV Senate passes bill increasing SNAP work requirements, sends Crown Act to finance committee appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
More than 500 new Russia sanctions levied by White House after Navalny death
The Biden administration will impose a new round of economic sanctions targeting Russian fuel exports and military-industry imports, the Treasury Department announced Friday. Coming one week after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in the custody of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government and one day short of the two-year anniversary of the country’s invasion of […] The post More than 500 new Russia sanctions levied by White House after Navalny death appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden calls on governors to press Congress on immigration overhaul, Ukraine aid
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden used a meeting with the National Governors Association at the White House on Friday to press for assistance to Ukraine and bipartisan immigration policy changes, both of which are stalled in Congress. “You deal with this every day, some of you deal with it every single day,” Biden told governors […] The post Biden calls on governors to press Congress on immigration overhaul, Ukraine aid appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
GOP backs voting by mail, yet turns to courts to restrict it in battleground states
Fearing that Democrats hold a crucial edge in ballots cast before Election Day, national Republicans are working to convince their voters to take advantage of mail and early voting this year. “We can’t play catch up. We can’t start from behind. We can’t let Dems get a big head start and think we’re going to […] The post GOP backs voting by mail, yet turns to courts to restrict it in battleground states appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Bail clampdowns don’t match what research says about suspects, experts say
Crime is shaping up as a potent election issue, and one of the key points of debate is over bail: Which suspects should be jailed before trial, and which ones should be released on bond — and for how much money? Some conservatives argue that lenient bail policies put suspects who are likely to commit […] The post Bail clampdowns don’t match what research says about suspects, experts say appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
We don’t need a surveillance state to protect kids from pornography
West Virginia legislators are poised to repeat the mistakes of Virginia and Texas in their attempts to limit access to pornographic websites. As a parent myself, there are certainly online materials that I don’t want my child to view, but I don’t need a surveillance state rife with unintended consequences to accomplish this goal. Laws […] The post We don’t need a surveillance state to protect kids from pornography appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Supreme Court reverses circuit court decision on funding for Cabell libraries, parks
Two days after hearing oral arguments on the case, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on Thursday issued an order to reverse and vacate a circuit court decision that required the Cabell County Board of Education to continue funding libraries and parks. An opinion on the ruling has yet to be released, but per […] The post Supreme Court reverses circuit court decision on funding for Cabell libraries, parks appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
House passes bill to eliminate Social Security tax
The West Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday unanimously passed legislation that would eliminate the state’s tax on Social Security benefits. House Bill 4880 would implement the tax cut over three years, starting with a 35% deduction for 2024, 65% for 2025 and 100% for 2026. Eliminating the state tax on Social Security is one […] The post House passes bill to eliminate Social Security tax appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
No fare! Free bus rides raise questions of fairness, viability.
RICHMOND, Va. — Free bus rides have made life easier for Melvin Wilson, a 28-year-old Richmond resident who was on his way to his warehouse job on a recent morning. His only worry is that fares, which once ate up $60 or more of his monthly pay, might come back and go even higher, making […] The post No fare! Free bus rides raise questions of fairness, viability. appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Senator proposes ‘high-risk population’ charter school to serve foster kids, homeless students
A senator has suggested building a “high-risk population” charter school to serve students who have faced serious discipline. It would also be open to vulnerable students in foster care and those who are experiencing homelessness. The measure, Senate Bill 860, would create the charter school within a public high school. Students couldn’t be sent there; […] The post Senator proposes ‘high-risk population’ charter school to serve foster kids, homeless students appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Vaccinations, freedom and responsibility
If you’ve been living anywhere other than under a rock, chances are you’ve seen a headline or two recently regarding a measles outbreak that is continuing to spread. Measles is on the rise around the world, and even experts who saw it coming say the increase is “staggering.” Measles was declared eliminated in 2000 — meaning the […] The post Vaccinations, freedom and responsibility appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
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West Virginia Watch is an independent, nonpartisan news service based in Charleston. Our journalists will hold public officials and agencies accountable, and inform West Virginians of what’s going on behind closed doors. We focus on issues that affect our state every day – such as poverty, access to health care, the foster care system – with an aim of filling the gaps in coverage caused by shrinking newsrooms. The Watch is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit network supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. We retain full editorial independence. West Virginia Watch is free to read without paywalls or subscription fees.
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