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West Virginia Watch
Some bright spots in an otherwise rough West Virginia legislative session
West Virginia is rough in the winter, and not just because of the cold. Since I moved back to the state in 2020, the culture war has been in full swing. LGBTQ rights and women’s health care are under threat. Harm reduction has been attacked. It is difficult to even have a serious conversation about […] The post Some bright spots in an otherwise rough West Virginia legislative session appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Child tax credit expanded, business tax breaks get new life in bill passed by U.S. House
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve a $78 billion tax package that would expand the child tax credit and reinstate some tax incentives for businesses. The 357-70 vote sends the bill, dubbed the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, to the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers are expected […] The post Child tax credit expanded, business tax breaks get new life in bill passed by U.S. House appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden, not Congress, responsible for action on immigration, U.S. House speaker asserts
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday used his first floor speech since taking hold of the gavel more than three months ago to call for immediate action to address undocumented immigration and border security, saying it’s a “moral” responsibility. The Louisiana Republican, however, argued the task should fall to the White House, […] The post Biden, not Congress, responsible for action on immigration, U.S. House speaker asserts appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
House passes elementary school discipline bill as concerns for students with disabilities continue
Lawmakers look to bolster elementary teachers’ ability to remove disruptive students in a bill that passed the House on Wednesday. Addressing student discipline issues will be a major focus in education for lawmakers this session in an effort to tackle glaring teacher shortages and low student achievement. State teachers’ unions have said the uptick in […] The post House passes elementary school discipline bill as concerns for students with disabilities continue appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Senate passes bill to prohibit doxxing of first responders; legislation now heads to the House
The West Virginia Senate on Wednesday passed a bill to prohibit and criminalize the doxxing of health care workers and other first responders in the state. Senate Bill 477 — which passed the Senate unanimously with one member absent and not voting — will now advance to the House for introduction. There was no discussion […] The post Senate passes bill to prohibit doxxing of first responders; legislation now heads to the House appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
U.S. House Speaker Johnson decries antisemitism, urges protection of Uyghurs in China
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected antisemitism and called on the Biden administration to fully enforce the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act during brief remarks to the International Religious Freedom summit on Wednesday. The Louisiana Republican also argued that God, not the government, provides American citizens with their rights and that those ideas […] The post U.S. House Speaker Johnson decries antisemitism, urges protection of Uyghurs in China appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Federal government approves major disaster declaration for August 2023 flood
The federal government this week approved a major disaster declaration related to an August storm event that affected residents in five West Virginia counties. Residents affected by severe flooding, landslides and mudslides from Aug. 28-30 in Boone, Calhoun, Clay, Harrison and Kanawha counties may be eligible for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. […] The post Federal government approves major disaster declaration for August 2023 flood appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
U.S. House committee advances impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas to floor
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security early Wednesday voted 18-15 along party lines to send articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the House floor. Republicans argue the charges are legitimate. Members of the full House could vote as soon as next week to impeach Mayorkas, who is […] The post U.S. House committee advances impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas to floor appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Amicus briefs in Colorado’s Trump ballot case flood U.S. Supreme Court
Constitutional law experts, state elections officials and a long list of Republican political figures are among those who have flooded the U.S. Supreme Court with their views on a landmark Colorado ruling blocking former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot under a Civil War-era insurrection clause. Hundreds of pages of amicus — or […] The post Amicus briefs in Colorado’s Trump ballot case flood U.S. Supreme Court appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Bill: In foster care cases judges couldn’t penalize parents using medication-assisted treatment
Judges couldn’t remove a child from his or her parents who are participating in a medication-assisted treatment program for substance use disorder, according to a bill moving in the House of Delegates. West Virginia has the nation’s highest rate of children in foster care, and state health officials have said many of the children are […] The post Bill: In foster care cases judges couldn’t penalize parents using medication-assisted treatment appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Missouri Rep. Cori Bush denies using tax dollars for personal security as DOJ investigates
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how Missouri Democratic Rep. Cori Bush spends campaign funds, according to a statement the congresswoman released Tuesday. “Since before I was sworn into office, I have endured relentless threats to my physical safety and life,” Bush said. “As a rank-and-file member of Congress I am not […] The post Missouri Rep. Cori Bush denies using tax dollars for personal security as DOJ investigates appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
House committee advances supplemental funding for neuroscience research at WVU
The House of Delegates Finance Committee on Monday signed off on a bill that would appropriate $2 million in supplemental funding to West Virginia University to support neuroscience research going on at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in Morgantown. House Bill 5014 would use a supplemental appropriation from the fiscal year 2024 budget to help […] The post House committee advances supplemental funding for neuroscience research at WVU appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Before and after Dobbs, questions of ‘when and where’ affect abortion access
DakotaRei Frausto was 17 years old and 12 weeks pregnant when they had to travel 11 hours by car from San Antonio, Texas, to New Mexico to terminate a pregnancy after contraception failed them. The appointment was April 1, 2022, about six months after Senate Bill 8 initially took effect in Texas, banning abortions after […] The post Before and after Dobbs, questions of ‘when and where’ affect abortion access appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Censorship supporters doing more to help publicize ‘obscene’ books than teachers and librarians
From the party who brought you guns on college campuses and a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, comes another idea to save the children — allowing teachers and librarians to be prosecuted for providing books. Currently, schools, libraries and museums are exempt from criminal liability for providing books that some — but not all […] The post Censorship supporters doing more to help publicize ‘obscene’ books than teachers and librarians appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Bill requiring age verification for websites with ‘offensive’ material moves to full House for vote
Lawmakers in the West Virginia House are moving forward with a bill to require certain websites that host “material harmful to minors” to verify the ages of their users with state-issued identification. House Bill 4867 would apply to any commercial website where 33.33% of content on the site is classified as being “patently offensive with […] The post Bill requiring age verification for websites with ‘offensive’ material moves to full House for vote appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
PSC divides gas outage case, will focus on response of water, gas company
The West Virginia Public Service Commission has closed a previous general investigation of Mountaineer Gas and West Virginia American Water over a November gas outage that affected more than 1,000 households on Charleston’s West Side, and opened separate investigations into the actions each company took in the aftermath of the outage. The outage, which affected […] The post PSC divides gas outage case, will focus on response of water, gas company appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
U.S. House Republicans set to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee is gearing up for only the second impeachment in U.S. history of a Cabinet member. The Republican-led committee on Tuesday will mark up articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, for what Democrats say is no more than a difference in immigration policy […] The post U.S. House Republicans set to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Justice wants to protect women’s sports by mandating definition of womanhood
Gov. Jim Justice wants to define “women” and “female” in state law as well as define women-only spaces, like locker rooms, in new legislation hailed as a “Women’s Bill of Rights.” The legislation, House Bill 5243, was sponsored by several Republican women lawmakers in the House of Delegates, including lead sponsor Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, […] The post Justice wants to protect women’s sports by mandating definition of womanhood appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
U.S. Supreme Court schedules March 26 oral arguments in abortion pill access case
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on March 26 in the case that could significantly curtail access to a prescription drug used for both abortions and miscarriage care. The case centers on when and how patients can access mifepristone, a pharmaceutical the U.S. Food and Drug Administration originally approved in 2000. […] The post U.S. Supreme Court schedules March 26 oral arguments in abortion pill access case 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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