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West Virginia Watch
House votes yes on arming teachers, strips local school boards’ power to turn down the option
Local school boards won’t be able to turn down a teacher’s request to carry a gun on school grounds, according to legislation that passed through the House of Delegates on Wednesday. The bill would also allow K-12 public and private school teachers to conceal carry in an effort to bolster school safety. As lawmakers considered […] The post House votes yes on arming teachers, strips local school boards’ power to turn down the option appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
‘Harm to harm reduction’: Bill to ban distribution of safe smoking equipment passes House Judiciary
Members of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted in favor of a bill that would, once again, limit what supplies harm reduction programs can distribute to their clients across West Virginia. House Bill 4667 would make it illegal for harm reduction programs to hand out any sort of “smoking devices” as part of their […] The post ‘Harm to harm reduction’: Bill to ban distribution of safe smoking equipment passes House Judiciary appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden unveils latest round of student loan cancellation to aid 153,000 borrowers
President Joe Biden expanded his push to eliminate student loan debt Wednesday, saying during a speech the initiative is part of a campaign promise to address the “broken” system. “While a college degree is still a ticket to a better life, that ticket is too expensive,” Biden said. “And too many Americans are still saddled […] The post Biden unveils latest round of student loan cancellation to aid 153,000 borrowers appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Senate passes bill implementing EMS ‘treat-in-place’ model for privately insured
Months after West Virginia’s congressional delegation called on the national Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services to implement a new treatment model to alleviate stress on EMS, lawmakers in the Senate advanced a bill that would do similar for private insurers in the state. Senate Bill 533 unanimously passed the Senate on Wednesday, and will […] The post Senate passes bill implementing EMS ‘treat-in-place’ model for privately insured appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Amended bill would remove vaccine requirements for private, parochial schools
A bill heading toward the full House of Delegates for a vote would strip away vaccine mandates for students attending private and parochial schools in West Virginia. As approved by the House Health Committee, House Bill 5105 would have allowed exemptions to school-mandated vaccine requirements for students who attend public virtual schools and do not […] The post Amended bill would remove vaccine requirements for private, parochial schools appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
‘It was the life raft’: Transgender people find a safe haven in Florida’s capital city
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Quandarius “Chanel” Johnson twirled a gold-colored crown that glinted with light streaming in from a nearby window. It’s a symbol to remind her of her strength. After all, “I’m a Leo,” Johnson said. She keeps the crown hanging on her bedpost. Johnson, a Black transgender woman, lives in a safe house not […] The post ‘It was the life raft’: Transgender people find a safe haven in Florida’s capital city appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
WV Supreme Court hears oral arguments for Cabell board of education excess levy case
Attorneys for several Cabell County entities appeared in front of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on Tuesday to argue whether a circuit court decision requiring the county board of education to fund parks and libraries through an excess levy approved by voters should stand. The arguments come from an appeal filed by the […] The post WV Supreme Court hears oral arguments for Cabell board of education excess levy case appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Senate bill would allow student athletes to play for school teams and travel teams at the same time
A bill moving in the Senate would allow students to simultaneously play on their school sports team and a travel sports team in the same sport. The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday signed off on the legislation, Senate Bill 813, with its supporters saying parents and students should have the freedom to play on both […] The post Senate bill would allow student athletes to play for school teams and travel teams at the same time appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
WV House advances bill that would repeal work permits for 14-, 15-year-olds
Legislation advancing in the West Virginia House of Delegates would repeal the work permit process for young people seeking employment. Supporters of House Bill 5159, which passed 83-16 on Tuesday, say the legislation is meant to take away an onerous process for kids who want jobs and give parents authority over whether their kids can […] The post WV House advances bill that would repeal work permits for 14-, 15-year-olds appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
White House preps new sanctions package against Russia after Navalny death
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday again urged U.S. House Republican leaders to hold an up-or-down vote on military assistance for Ukraine and said a new sanctions package against Russia is on the way, citing the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as placing new pressure on Western democracies to rally against the […] The post White House preps new sanctions package against Russia after Navalny death appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Drunken drivers would have to pay child support for victims’ kids under these laws
It was an unimaginable tragedy — the loss of her son, daughter-in-law and 4-month-old grandson in an April 13, 2021, car crash in Missouri — that pushed Cecilia Williams into advocacy. A month after visiting the crash site marker on a Missouri state highway, Williams recalled, she knew she had to channel her grief into […] The post Drunken drivers would have to pay child support for victims’ kids under these laws appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Won’t somebody please think of the children?
There’s been a lot of talk about protecting children and “parental rights” during this legislative session. But I’m having trouble making sense of their reasoning. Many Republicans seem to think that what a kid reads is not up to that child’s parents. And yet other Republicans voted against a bill on the grounds that parents […] The post Won’t somebody please think of the children? appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
House committee votes down ‘Raylee’s Law,’ which would bar homeschooling in child abuse cases
House lawmakers again opted not to sign off on barring parents facing a child abuse investigation from homeschooling their children. The proposal, which on Monday was introduced as a bill amendment by Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, has been brought to the Legislature since 2019 but never passed. “In the meantime, we keep hearing of these […] The post House committee votes down ‘Raylee’s Law,’ which would bar homeschooling in child abuse cases appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Republican legislators push bills requiring government to collect reasons for abortion
All but seven state legislatures are now in session, and abortion-related bills continue to be introduced, especially in states where the procedure is already banned. It can be hard to monitor them all, so States Newsroom’s Reproductive Rights Today team will track certain bills that could become law in their respective states in a biweekly […] The post Republican legislators push bills requiring government to collect reasons for abortion appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Worried Biden and Trump are too old to be president? Calm down, experts on aging say
Age should not preclude either Joe Biden or Donald Trump from serving another four years as president, a group of aging experts said Thursday at a webinar organized by the American Federation for Aging Research. If Biden, 81, and Trump, 77, are the candidates on Election Day, as appears likely right now, they would break […] The post Worried Biden and Trump are too old to be president? Calm down, experts on aging say appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Judge demands records, says CPS failed to adequately investigate kids locked in Sissonville shed
A federal judge says Child Protective Services failed to respond and perform an adequate investigation in a high-profile case where Kanawha County children were found last fall locked in a shed without access to water or a toilet. “As a result, the children were left to suffer at the hands of their adoptive parents for […] The post Judge demands records, says CPS failed to adequately investigate kids locked in Sissonville shed 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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