The Legislature, Day 6: Teachers rally

Scrutiny of Gov. Joe Manchin's legislative proposals continues today as The Associated Press reports on the implications of his pay increase proposals for teachers and other educators (the story can also be found here).

A less-than-thrilled West Virginia Education Association hopes a 10 a.m. Capitol rally will help persuade lawmakers to sweeten the deal.

AP also took a closer look at Manchin's electronic prescriptions proposal over the weekend. Weekend coverage included perhaps the first in-depth profile of new House Speaker Rick Thompson, in the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

Looking ahead, West Virginia Public Broadcasting plans to interview Manchin on The Legislature Today this evening.

UPDATE: Hundreds of red-clad WVEA members have descended on the Capitol this morning. The AP's Shaya Tayefe Mohajer will have the details, and perhaps a head count.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday undoubtedly helped the WVEA mount a strong showing today. Several teachers, none too pleased about what the governor has put on the table, also spoke to Hoppy Kercheval this morning on Talkline.

Speaker Rick Thompson began today's House of Delegates floor session with a prayer from former member Arley Johnson, followed by his recitation of King's "I Have a Dream" speech. The dramatic reading by Johnson has become a tradition in the House on King's holiday.

Also today, The Charleston Daily Mail marks the holiday with an article profiling the House of Delegates' three black members.

Delegate Charlene Marshall, D-Monongalia, recounts attending segregated school and fielding phone calls from men seeking dissuade her from running for Morgantown City County because of her race.

McDowell County Delegate Cliff Moore talks about his late father, the veteran lawmaker Ernie Moore.

If you look through the old Blue Books, you don't see very many faces of color among the pages of legislators. You also won't see any among the senators: West Virginia elected its first African-American to the Senate in 1998.

It appears that what black delegates there were back then largely hailed from McDowell County. At least one was a woman. I've always wondered how they were treated by their colleagues, and the staff.

This was news to me: Marshall was the first black member of the West Virginia Women's Bowling Association, and can boast of a high game of 260.