The Legislature in Martinsburg

The Legislature has wrapped up its monthly three-day series of interim meetings, held this time in Martinsburg. Among other highlights:

* PULL! Gov. Joe Manchin joined lawmakers to mark Monday's opening of the Wobble Clay Shooting Range at Cacapon State Resort Park in nearby Morgan County. The Journal of Martinsburg reports that the range is the first of its kind at a West Virginia state park.

* A GRAND TOUR: Besides Cacapon, lawmakers were invited to visit such sites as the Caperton Furniture Works, historic Eastern Panhandle farmland, a particularly vexing traffic intersection in Inwood, Quad Graphics and the farm of Delegate Bob Tabb, D-Jefferson.

* GET ON THE PURPLE BUS: Thoughout the session, the "Children's Rights Initiative for Sharing Parents Equally" parked its violet-and-white tour bus/camper-type vehicle outside the host hotel. Allied with in-state father's rights groups, CRISPE advocates 50-50 custody arrangements "as the default legal position at separation or divorce."
Legislators were invited on board, as was Manchin during his Monday appearance at interims. Clad in purple shirts, members of this group also attended most meetings and in several cases filmed them.

* A NIGHT AT THE RACES: Charles Town Races & Slots hosted a Monday evening reception that drew more than 200 legislators, spouses, staffers and lobbyists.
Manchin also attended, as did several lawmakers who opposed the track's bid for casino table games (an unsuccessful effort, as Jefferson was the sole county among the four that voted to reject the referendum). That group included Delegate John Doyle, D-Jefferson, who exchanged words with a Charles Town official at the reception. Doyle later told AP that he was made to feel unwelcome, and left to avoid any further confrontation. The official was adamant to AP that he did not tell Doyle to leave or throw him out.