Manchin Family Eyes W.Va.'s Remaining Branch

Delegate Tim Manchin, D-Fairmont and a cousin to Gov. Joe Manchin, is considering a 2008 bid for the state Supreme Court, the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

Manchin also told host Hoppy Kercheval on MetroNews Talkline today that he was "thinking pretty seriously" about running.

The President's Visit

Amid lawsuits alleging the Bush administration goes too far in trying to thwart protestors, real and potential, at public events, the president plans to spend part of his Fourth of July morning in West Virginia.

The Associated Press story looks at filings in a lawsuit arising from a previous Bush trip to the state for Independence Day: his 2004 appearance at the state Capitol, where a Texas couple was arrested and charged with trespassing (charges later dropped) after refusing to remove or conceal anti-Bush t-shirts.

The key document is a "Presidential Advance Manual." Though heavily redacted, the released excerpts detail a policy for deploying volunteers both to screen event crowds for "potential problems" and to counteract any demonstrations.

The manual also recommends recruiting "rally squads" from such groups as young Republican chapters, fraternities and sororities, and athletic teams.

While relevant to the upcoming stop in Martinsburg, the manual is also news because it has fueled a new lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations. The Texas couple, Nicole and Jeffrey Rank, have joined with a Denver couple who allege similar mistreatment at a 2005 event there to file suit in federal court in Washington, D.C.

The American Civil Liberties Union represents the couples in this latest lawsuit, filed last week, and has posted information about it on its web site.

Bush returns to West Virginia at a time of dismal approval ratings. As pollster.com recently observed:

"The question remains one of how long the current slide can continue. Historically, presidential approval has rarely fallen into the 20s. While some polls are still giving readings in the 30s, the trend remains sharply downward. However, we are now approaching historic lows. "

(This, of course, was before the president commuted the prison term of Scooter Libby.)

But Bush ran strong in Berkeley County in both 2000 (59% of the vote) and 2004 (63%). In fact, he nearly doubled his margin of victory over his Democratic opponent between the two elections (4,822 votes vs. 8,836 votes).

Organizers of tomorrow's visit expect a crowd of about 1,500 from the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia National Guard, their families and some VIPs.

Quote of the Day

"I am an academic, and I feel like you're accusing me of a political bias, and I am getting upset."

-- West Virginia University economics professor Russell Sobel, during a Public Broadcasting interview about his new book, Unleashing Capitalism.

Getting Beyond The Buzz

Public Broadcasting looks into the hub-bub surrounding Unleashing Capitalism, a new book edited by West Virginia University economics professor Russell Sobel.

"Many West Virginia business leaders, policymakers and media reports are gushing over" the book, Public Radio's Scott Finn reports. "But there are critics who say the book’s findings are fueled by a conservative agenda."

Besides the audio segment, Public Radio offers the entire interview with Sobel.

Other perspectives on Sobel and his work have come from The Charleston Gazette and West Virginia Media News.

West Virginia's Mr. Casino

The Associated Press profiles Ted Arneault, the CEO of MTR gaming group and most visible proponent of allowing casino table games at West Virginia's racetracks.

"The diminutive, dapper man with the expensive suits and shiny shoes has become the bane of those in West Virginia who fear and fight the expansion of gambling," the AP's Vicki Smith reports. "But the president of Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort says his work to expand gambling the past 15 years has been about much more."

Arneault cheered on voters in Mountaineer's home county of Hancock when they OK'd table games Saturday, 59 percent to 41 percent.

Pre-Candidates A-Go-Go

With a little more than 10 months before the May primary, The Associated Press looks at the sprawling field of pre-candidates for the 2008 ballot.

The situation somewhat mirrors the national political scene, where 19 declared presidential candidates are already off and running. But this is not necessarily a good thing, says political science professor Robert Rupp of West Virginia Wesleyan College.

"The candidates are running and the media is covering but the public isn't paying attention," Rupp tells AP. "I am not at all happy. It tires out the candidates, and the public is not engaged."

Rupp also advises "let's give the voters a rest. These people have day jobs."

W.Va. Makes Most of Learning Opportunity

I guess that's the best spin the Legislature can put on the recent Council of State Governments meeting in Puerto Rico: Phil Kabler of The Charleston Gazette reports that the Mountain State fielded the largest delegation at the El Conquistador resort, with 29 attendees.

"The host, Puerto Rico, was second, with 23 representatives," Kabler reports. "At the other extreme, nine states had no representatives, and nine states...each sent only one delegate."

Hancock County Approves Table Games

Though not by the margin seen in nearby Ohio County earlier this month.

MetroNews has the final tally as 5,022 votes in favor, or 59%, and 41% against, or 3,503 votes.

The Associated Press also offers details.

Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort in Chester had been perhaps the biggest proponent of casino table games, " as a way to create new jobs and preserve existing ones as competition for gamblers grows from neighboring states," the AP reports.

But gambling foes made a stand in Hancock County, AP continues, and "erected billboards along state Route 2 warning voters, 'A lie well told and stuck to is easier believed than the truth.'"

Ohio County voters OK'd the games for Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center in one of two special elections June 9, 66% to 34%.

Jefferson County rejected table games on that date, 56% to 44%.

Kanawha County votes Aug. 11.

Capito in Crosshairs

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is including U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, W.Va.-2nd, among 14 House GOP incumbents it plans to attack next week in a sort of Independence Day salvo.

As The Associated Press reports, the DCCC plans to launch this radio ad and pepper Capito's district with "robo-calls" to allege that she has voted against the interests of the troops and veterans.

But as I point out in the AP story, FactCheck.org has criticized at least one of the allegations leveled in the ad.

The Politico also has a story on the DCCC effort, as does The Hill.

The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, reports that Anne Barth has decided not to consider challenging Capito in 2008. A longtime aide to Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Barth had been touted as a candidate for a field that already includes state Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley.

Table Games

Slightly more than 1,600 Hancock County voters cast early ballots in advance of Saturday's special election on table games, County Clerk Eleanor Straight tells The Associated Press. The early voting turnout equaled about 7.5 percent of registered voters.

MetroNews also has a story on the upcoming election. In semi-related news, AP reports on the planned sale of Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel in Las Vegas by MTR Gaming Group Inc. MTR owns Chester's Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort, the intended beneficiary of Saturday's vote.

And Public Broadcasting finds few takers for new casino jobs in Ohio County, which approved table games earlier this month. "Classes started on Monday at WV Northern Community College to train dealers for casino jobs in Wheeling, but racetrack officials are disappointed in the low turnout,"Public Broadcasting reports.

Byrd Responds To Age Questions

U.S Sen. Robert C. Byrd gave a 20-minute floor speech this morning addressing recent media report that have scrutinized his age and health.

"I have had some time to become accustomed to the increasing distance between the year of my birth and the current date," the 89-year-old told colleagues.

The Associated Press has the story. Besides the earlier-referenced quote from the speech, Byrd also targeted today's youth-obsessed society.

""In a culture of botox, wrinkle cream and hair dye, we cannot imagine that becoming older is a good thing, an experience to look forward to and a state worthy of respect," he said.


MetroNews also has a story, with audio. I offer some background here.

Quote of the Day

My only adversity is age... I will continue to do this work until this old body just gives out and drops. Just don't expect that to be any time soon."

-- U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., during a Thursday floor speech addressing recent press scrutiny of his age and health.

They Voted For You: Immigration

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., helped reject a bid to revive pending immigration legislation.

The 46-53 vote marks the second time this month that a majority of senators _ including Byrd and Rockefeller, helped derail the bill.

The Associated Press has a story on the latest.

They Voted For...Themselves?

U.S. Reps. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, and Alan Mollohan, D-1st, both voted to increase Congressional pay by about $4,400, to nearly $170,000 annually, according to The Associated Press.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the necessarily procedural question in the 244-181 roll call.

As AP reports, "Democrats and Republicans alike killed a bid by Reps. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and Lee Terry, R-Neb., to get a direct vote to block the (cost of living allowance) _ , which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it. "

AP also reports that the annual increase stalled the previous two years, partly because of partisan squabbling and partly because "Democrats last year fulfilled a campaign promise to deny themselves a pay hike until Congress raised the minimum wage. Delays in the minimum wage bill cost every lawmaker about $3,100 this year."

Mark Your Calendars

The West Virginia GOP will host Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan at the annual summer conference of its state executive committee July 14 in Huntington. Details here.

As for the Democrats, I'm told that such heavy hitters as U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (also a U.S. Rep., D-Md.) are co-sponsoring a Washington, D.C., fundraiser this evening for state Sen. John Unger. The Berkeley County Democrat plans to run against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd., in 2008.

Gov. Joe Manchin, meanwhile, headlined a fundraiser for Kentucky's Democratic Party last night in Louisville, according to this redoubtable blog from the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Secretary of State Strikes a Different Sort of Gold

Here's a neat story that nicely coincides with West Virginia's birthday and the Fourth of July: a review of documents in a fire-proof vault at the Secretary of State's office revealed previously overlooked records from the state's founding and other historic events.

As The Associated Press reports, the trove includes the state's first executive journal (which begins with the first governor's 1863 oath of office), minutes of the 1872 State Constitutional Convention, and the 1936 certificate of announcement for the candidacy for Franklin D. Roosevelt.

"So many times we get wrapped up in the business of the office, we don't realize some of the treasures that are here," chief of staff Ben Beakes told AP.

The Register-Herald of Beckley also has the story, as does Public Broadcasting, offering this audio interview.

Secretary of State Betty Ireland also issued a release on the discovery.

Absent Lawmaker Responds

Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, spoke to The Register-Herald of Beckley about his continued absence from the Legislature (background here).

Still under a doctor's care, Thompson said he does not know when he will be able to return but that “I am working myself back to be able to attend the interims."

The Associated Press has also picked up the story.

Tobacco Bonds

In this story from The Associated Press, I tried to provide some context to the recent $807 million tobacco bond deal that was made final Tuesday. I consulted the National Association of State Retirement Administrators to see how the influx of cash would improve the funding ranking of the teacher pension plan.

I also spoke to Attorney General Darrell McGraw, who made West Virginia just the third state to file the sort of lawsuit that resulted in the historic, multibillion-dollar settlement with the tobacco industry.

MetroNews covered the Tuesday event as well, as did The Charleston Gazette.

They Voted For You: Unions

West Virginia's Democratic U.S. Senators, Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, voted for the motion to advance the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007 toward a Senate vote on passage.

The 51-48 vote fell short of the 60-vote margin needed for the cloture motion to prevail.

The Associated Press has a story on the vote, and also offers this sidebar that looks at at how unions have fared in recent organizing elections.

They Voted For You: Immigration Cloture

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., voted against today's motion bringing the pending immigration bill back to the Senate floor.

The motion prevailed, 64-35.

The Associated Press is tracking the resurfacing of the legislation.

Table Games: Hancock County

The Wheeling newspapers have been tracking early voting in advance of Hancock County's special election Saturday on the table games question.

About 1,000 residents have already cast ballots, or about 4.6 percent of registered voters. Early voting ends Wednesday.

"One of the reasons behind the increase in early voters in Hancock County is the bus service Mountaineer (Race Track and Gaming Resort in Chester) is providing to the community," the Sunday News-Register reported. "The track is not only providing a shuttle service for its employees, but also for community members who don’t have a method of transportation."

Jefferson and nearby Ohio counties both saw early voting by more than 10 percent of their registered voters before the split decisions in their June 9 special elections.

Kanawha County also plans to hold early voting before its special balloting on Aug. 11.

The Associated Press, meanwhile reports that slot machines _ like the video lottery terminals hosted by West Virginia's four tracks _ "have done nothing to attract more people to horse racing" (and I suppose that would apply to dog racing as well).

This Just In: Byrd Old

In this story today from The Associated Press, I try to provide context to the latest conjecture brought on by the advanced age of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.

I talked to Larry Sabato, who contrasted Byrd's recent appearances with that of the late Strom Thurmond, in the years before the South Carolina Republican left the Senate in 2003.

Sabato also cited history to opine that governors court voter wrath by arranging to have themselves appointed to open Senate seats.

This scenario has been bandied about regarding Byrd's seat since at least 1993, when Gaston Caperton was governor and I had a brief stint covering the statehouse.

I noted earlier the wave of stories spurred by Byrd's age. I should also note that his age was an issue before voters re-elected him to a record ninth term last year with 64 percent of the vote.

The first TV ad anywhere during the 2006 election cycle was an anti-Byrd spot from the Republican National Senatorial Committee, in an apparent effort to shake Byrd's resolve to run. His GOP opponent, John Raese, also played the age card by seizing on a radio interview Byrd did during the campaign.

Festivall

The Charleston Gazette offers this colorful interactive map for this weekend's Festivall 2007.

Its animated features include Gov. Joe Manchin and the first lady roaring off on a motorcycle.

Also, keep your eyes on the Veterans' Memorial and the University of Charleston tower.

Ireland's Office Responds to Tennant

If she is elected secretary of state in 2008, Democrat Natalie Tennant may not have to worry about addressing the balloting snafu that marked the 2004 party primary, according to information provided to The Register-Herald of Beckley by incumbent Secretary of State Betty Ireland's office.

Tennant expressed concern to The Associated Press at her Wednesday candidacy announcement that neither Ireland nor the Legislature have taken steps to address the improper formatting of ballots that occurred during her unsuccessful 2004 bid for the office.

But Ireland Chief of Staff Ben Beakes tells the Beckley paper that 1) state law "bars the type of ballot design that plagued the 2004 race," 2) "the advent of electronic voting machines" make such formatting a moot point, and 3) the Legislature passed Senate Bill 616 earlier this year "that changed a lot of the ballot design."

They Voted For You: Energy

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., helped pass the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 in a 65-27 vote early this morning.

The Associated Press reports on the early-hours vote and the latest version of the bill.

They Voted For You: Contraception & Abortion

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, helped amend a foreign aid spending bill "to reverse a ban on contraception aid to groups overseas that offer abortions," as The Associated Press reports.

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall, D-1st and D-3rd, voted against the amendment from Rep. Nita Lowery, D-N.Y.

They were among only 24 House Democrats to do so in the 223-201 vote, while Capito was among only 16 GOP members to support the amendment.

Mollohan, Capito and Rahall all voted against passage of the bill, which prevailed 241-178. Each again bucked the partly line on that vote.

Manchin Expands Drug Testing of W.Va. Hires

Gov. Joe Manchin had proposed drug screens for all prospective state employees in his keynote speech to the Legislature earlier this year. He followed up with an executive order Thursday directing the state Division of Personnel to draw up the necessary policy.

As The Associated Press reports, the policy will apply to anyone hired at an executive branch agency that reports to the governor's office. Several departments _ the State Police and the Division of Corrections, for instance _ already require drug testing of new hires.

But as AP also reports, state worker groups offer mixed reactions. Those aligned with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees approve of the new policy. They also herald Manchin's inclusion of contract workers. But a separate group representing state employees say drug testing will hurt morale.

The Charleston Daily Mail has articles on both Manchin's new policy and reactions among state workers. MetroNews also has the story.

Mollohan Reminded of Federal Scrutiny

The Politico includes U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan in an article today, which highlights pending allegations against four key Capitol Hill "appropriators" to ask "if there is something endemic to the culture of the appropriations committees."

Chairman of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee on House Appropriations, Mollohan "is under investigation for steering money to nonprofits he was linked to, although he denies any wrongdoing," the article said. "Mollohan has recused himself from any matter related to the Justice Department, although Republicans continue to hit the Democrats over the Mollohan allegations, arguing that he should no longer chair the subcommittee."

The 1st District Democrat is grouped with Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and fellow Reps. John Doolittle and Jerry Lewis, both R-Calif.

They Voted For You: Power Lines

As The Associated Press reports, "The House rejected an attempt Wednesday to block the government from imposing major new power lines in areas where states or local communities oppose them."

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, helped block the amendment in the 174-257 vote.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd., voted for the amendment by Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., which aimed to "assure that no funds be made available to designate any geographic area as a national interest electric transmission corridor under the Federal Power Act by the Secretary of Energy."

The amendment was one of several proposed for a pending energy and water development spending bill.

Tennant Launches Secretary of State Bid

Democrat Natalie Tennant marked West Virginia Day -- and her 9th wedding anniversary -- by formally launching her 2008 campaign for secretary of state today outside the state Capitol.

The Associated Press was on hand for the announcement, as was MetroNews (with audio).

In Report's Wake, Capito Discloses Earmarks

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito today released a list of nearly $93 million worth of earmarks that she plans to pursue for her 2nd House District as Congress crafts the 2008 federal budget.

Capito, R-W.Va., posted the list on her House web site, while the Charleston Daily Mail also has an article.

The listing comes one day after CNN reported that all three West Virginia House members had failed to respond to requests for earmark information.

"Projects included on this list are not guaranteed funding at the amount requested or any funding at all," Capito's office noted in today's press release. "These projects propose no new spending, as they seek to be included through the budgeted appropriations process."

They Voted For You: Coal-to-Liquids

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., voted for the "Tester Amendment" to the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, but the amendment was rejected 33-61.

Byrd and Rockefeller also voted against the "Bunning Amendment" to the bill. That measure was rejected 39-55.

Byrd and Rockefeller signed on as co-sponsors to the amendment from Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., which aimed "To establish a program to provide loans for projects to produce syngas from coal and other feedstocks while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reliance of the United States on petroleum and natural gas."

The amendment from Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., proposed "To provide standards for clean coal-derived fuels."

Those with coverage of the issue include The Charleston Gazette, MetroNews (with audio from Byrd's floor speech), The Register-Herald of Beckley

West Virginia Turns 144 - Updated

The Charleston Gazette offers this special section front to mark West Virginia Day. Among others marking the Mountain State's birthday: MetroNews and The Register-Herald of Beckley.

DeLong Outlines Bid For Secretary of State

Having gained his legislative leadership post just five months ago, House Majority Leader Joe DeLong held Wheeling and Charleston press conferences Monday to announce his candidacy for secretary of state.

The Associated Press covered the latter appearance. I focused on how DeLong, D-Hancock, called for giving the secretary of state the power to investigate corporate fraud _ and how he plans to help create that power during his remaining time in the Legislature.

At least three fellow Democratic House members _ Lidella Hrutkay of Logan County, Dale Martin of Putnam County and Locke Wysong of Jefferson County _ were on hand for the Charleston announcement. Before that press conference, DeLong had mentioned that four or five Northern Panhandle-area delegates showed up for his Wheeling appearance.

Kanawha County School Board Member Pete Thaw also attended the Charleston appearance.

MetroNews also covered the state Capitol press conference, as did West Virginia Media. The Wheeling newspapers were on hand for his announcement there.

The Register-Herald of Beckley, meanwhile, spoke to Senate Majority Leader Billy Wayne Bailey about his plans to run for secretary of state.

The Wyoming County Democrat has filed precandidacy papers for an undeclared office, while both DeLong and fellow Democrat Natalie Tennant have both filed as precandidates for secretary of state.

(Incumbent Secretary of State Betty Ireland, a Republican, has not announced her 2008 election plans.)

I have noted that the precandidate filings are free and non-binding. The official candidate filings aren't until January.

I also note that Delegate Richard Browning, D-Wyoming, has filed precandidacy papers for Bailey's seat.

And finally, DeLong has set up a web site for his campaign.

The Struggle For Earmark Transparency

All three of West Virginia's U.S. House members flunked a recent survey by CNN that asked for their "earmark" requests for the upcoming fiscal year, the network reports.

They were in good company: "Staffers for only 31 of the 435 members of the House contacted by CNN between Wednesday and Friday of last week supplied a list of their earmark requests for Fiscal Year 2008, which begins on October 1, or pointed callers to Web sites where those earmark requests were posted," CNN reported.

A state-by-state pull-down menu notes that 68 members' offices declined the requests outright, while 329 did not respond (all three W.Va. members fall in the latter category). The article also said that "Seven members of the House said they had no earmark requests."

CNN contrasted its results with "the new Democratic congressional leadership's promise of "openness and transparency" in the budget process."

The full listing of responses is here.

Gambling Remains The Hot Topic In W.Va.

The Associated Press provides context to the ongoing tumult over the state's problem gambler help program, with this article by Tom Breen.

"A look at gambling programs around the country suggests it’s difficult to make generalizations about a type of state aid that is still, in many places, in its infancy," the article said.

The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler, meanwhile, devoted part of his Sunday column to the print/cyber back-and-forth he's had on the topic with state Sen. Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha.

Last week, Kabler also interviewed Mia Moran-Cooper, the help program's former director, who's become something of a lightning rod.

The Gazette also assesses the financial impact of Jefferson County's rejection of the June 9 table games referendum, by weighing the potential contribution of Hancock County. Voters there will decide the table games question on June 30.

And in another development sure to spice up the gambling debate in West Virginia, the owner of the Jefferson County track has agreed to be purchased by Fortress Investment Group LLC and Centerbridge Partners LP in an $8.9 billion deal.

AP has a story on the announced acquisition plans, while track parent Penn National Gaming issued a press release.

Yes, W.Va. Has a Libertarian Party

But you wouldn't know it from recent election races. The Register-Herald of Beckley has a story about the party's efforts to regain ballot status, which it enjoyed earlier this decade.

Si Galperin, 1932-2007

Simon Hirsch "Si" Galperin Jr., 75, died Sunday after a career that included several terms in the Legislature and, most recently, as a lobbyist.

The Charleston Gazette has an article as well as the obituary.

Galperin represented Citizens for Clean Elections during the most recent legislative session.

W.Va. Resurfaces in U.S. Atty Firings Story

This time because its southern federal district is among nearly two dozen where temporary U.S. attorneys face time in office "now limited under a law signed last week by President Bush," The Washington Post reports today.

As has been reported earlier, Kasey Warner was fired as the district's U.S. attorney in August 2005. Warner has questioned whether politics played a role in his ouster. U.S. Justice Department officials have countered by offering to explain why he was canned -- if Warner waives confidentiality (which he apparently has yet to do).

Chuck Miller was tapped to replace Warner, though not by the president. A career prosecutor in the office with a stellar reputation, was named U.S. attorney most recently by a federal judge in the district.

Though that step by the district court may suffice in Miller's case, "The Justice Department has signaled that it might seek to extend the terms of those U.S. attorneys appointed under a legal provision known as the Vacancies Act by reappointing them under another provision that would give them an additional four months on the job," the article also said.

"The developments add to growing personnel problems at the Justice Department in the wake of last year's firings of nine U.S. attorneys," the Post reports. "A quarter of all federal prosecutors are now on the job on an interim or acting basis -- reflecting a vacancy rate that is much higher than normal, according to department statistics."

Manchin Co-Signs China Letter

Gov. Joe Manchin is among 10 southern governors urging U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to approve a request by Delta Air Lines to offer nonstop flights from Atlanta to China.

The Associated Press has the story.

Delta wants to start flying nonstop to Shanghai in March, the article said. "Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein said the route is needed to serve the growing population in the Southeast as well as the region's booming trade with China."

Embedded W.Va. Reporters Return

Martin Staunton of West Virginia Media and Public Broadcasting's Anna Sale have flown back to West Virginia with some members of the 130th Airlift Wing after covering its most recent mission to Afghanistan.

Staunton offers a final report here, with links to video as well as previous posts from the trip.

Sale spoke about her coverage to Public Broadcasting's Greg Collard (transcript here), and also filed daily reports and postings during her nearly two weeks with the Air National Guard unit.

Raleigh Delegate Continues Absence Streak

After his MIA status created a constitutional tumult during the year's regular session, Delegate Ron Thompson has missed each of the three interim sessions since, The Register-Herald of Beckley reports.

Seeking treatment for what he and his psychiatrist describe as a bipolar disorder, the Raleigh County Democrat "appeared in the final week of the 2007 legislative session to take his oath with a pledge that he would complete his duties in the remaining days," the article said. "But he never returned to the House chamber as the winter session wound down."

Background info can be found here, here and here.

Congressional Financial Disclosures

I haven't had a chance yet to crunch the numbers, but The Associated Press has this overview of the latest financial disclosure reports from West Virginia's Congressional delegation.

The highlights from the AP article:

* As one of Congress' wealthiest members, Sen. Jay Rockefeller has assets including 3 blind trusts worth between $80 million and $125 million, which generate between $2.1 million and $11 million in annual income;

* Sen. Robert C. Byrd lists an IRA worth between $100,000 and $200,000 as the largest of 3 investments;

* Rep. Alan Mollohan listed real estate in North Carolina, as well as rental properties in Fairmont, Canaan Valley and Washington, D.C. that yielded between $35,000 and $115,000 in income;

* Rep. Shelley Moore Capito has a number of investments, inc.luding two worth between $65,000 and $150,000;

* Rep. Nick Rahall disclosed 10 acres in North Carolina as well as a time share in South Carolina that generated between $1,000 and $2,500.

A national sidebar to the AP's coverage of the reports notes that "Mollohan, formerly the top Democrat on the House ethics committee, has acknowledged in the past that he filed inaccurate financial statements and asked the House Clerk's office to correct or amend more than a dozen items on his reports dating back to 2000. The Justice Department also is investigating whether he has benefited from directing federal funds to nonprofit groups he helped start."

You can download PDF copies of both Senate and House reports from PoliticalMoneyLine, a service of Congressional Quarterly (it did not appear to have Rahall's report scanned in as of Friday morning, however).

Drug Council Tinkers With Gift Disclosure Rules

Drug companies would have to list gifts and payments to doctors "in $2,500 increments, with no limit on the maximum amount to be reported," an article in The Charleston Gazette today said.

The Gazette reports on the latest meeting of the state Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council, which had heard from an array of consumer-oriented groups who opposed a $10,000 cap on disclosures that the council had previously proposed.

West Virginia's Senior Senator

The Associated Press is the latest to assess how age is bearing down on U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., "in the winter of his 54-year career in Congress."

The article recounts recent episodes on Capitol Hill when the 89-year-old appeared to forget a colleague's name, needed prompting from an aide and delegated some of his duties to others.

It also offers the recent dedication at Shepherd University of a nursing building named after his late wife. Erma Ora Byrd died last year, about two months before their 69th wedding anniversary.

"The senator told the audience his wife was in heaven, adding: 'I'm going to meet her there,'" the article said.

W.Va. Completes Tobacco Bond Deal for $807m

West Virginia will get $807 million in up-front cash by issuing bonds, promising investors future annual payments from the state's multibillion-dollar settlement with major tobacco companies, The Associated Press reported late today.

(Update: The AP article is drawn from this story from The Charleston Gazette.)

"This landmark deal is the single-largest West Virginia bond issue and the largest taxable tobacco securitization in the United States to date, said officials from Citigroup, the lead bookrunning manager on the transaction," Manchin's office said in a statement.

The successful deal follows several near misses, including a $524 million deal proposed in 2002, in which the state sought to securitize proceeds from the landmark 1998 tobacco settlement to generate cash.

But James F. Haddon, managing director for Citigroup's Municipal Securities Division, noted in today's statement that “amid challenging market conditions due to rising interest rates, it is remarkable that the state was able to accomplish its goal."

Volatile market conditions had been reported earlier by The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews, among others.

But there appears to be at least one declaration that today's bond deal "fell through."

LeRose Falls Short in Comeback Bid

Among Tuesday's numerous municipal election races statewide, Former state Republican Party Chairman Steve LeRose failed in his campaign to retake the mayor's office in Summersville.

As the Register-Herald of Beckley reports, LeRose placed third among four candidates. Newcomer Bob Shafer, a newcomer, won with 504 votes.

I noted earlier in the campaign that LeRose had been mayor since 1985 when he lost his 1999 re-election bid. Just days later, "LeRose pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud and tax evasion charges stemming from a $3.3 million check-kiting scheme."

Sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, the 57-year-old was released in November 2001.

Ross Eyeing '08 Senate Rematch

Former state Sen. Mike Ross, D-Randolph, hopes water conservation will prove the issue that helps return him to the Legislature in 2008, according to the (Beckley) Register-Herald.

"A veteran businessman in the oil and gas industries, Ross is involved in the creation of a 65-acre impoundment, just south of Huttonsville, capable of providing sufficient water to serve Tygart Valley up to half a year," the newspaper reports.

As the article notes, Ross was seeking a fourth Senate term in 2004 when he fell to Republican Clark Barnes, a political newcomer and also a business owner.

They Voted For You: Stem Cell Research

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., voted with the majority June 7 to pass the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act."

The state's other House members, Democratic Reps. Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall, voted against the bill.

As the Charleston Daily Mail reported today, "Capito was one of just 37 House Republicans to support the bill in the 247-176 vote," while Mollohan and Rahall were among only 16 Democrats who opposed it.

The Daily Mail also noted that U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., both helped pass the bill from the Senate to the House in April.

The bill would "amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research."

(Thanks to the Daily Mail for outpointing last week's vote. It also reports that President Bush is expected to veto the bill.)

DEP Stream List Battle Boils Over

Gov. Joe Manchin has waded into a regulatory fight that roiled mostly backstage during the year's regular legislative session, The Charleston Gazette reports.

Manchin has ordered the Department of Environmental Protection to pare down a proposed list of semi-protected West Virginia streams to 156, the Gazette quotes spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg as saying.

That was the potential size of the list when negotiations broke down, during the session, between DEP and industry and other interested parties. As the Gazette article notes, those parties include the West Virginia Forestry Association and the state Farm Bureau.

But that's nearly half of the streams that DEP wants in the state's "Tier 2.5" category of streams, which the Gazette ranks "among a series of compromises with regulated industries."

"Under the state’s policy, streams in this category could not be degraded more than 10 percent," the Gazette explains. "The Tier 2.5 category was created to keep many state streams from ending up classified as Tier 3, a category that allows no degradation at all."

The article also includes this DEP link with info about the stream list and other proposed regulatory rules.

"A public hearing is scheduled for mid-July, and the DEP hopes to submit the new list for legislative consideration during the 2008 session," the article said.

Table Games: The Jefferson County Vote - Updated

Jefferson County has released unofficial precinct tallies from Saturday's defeat of the casino table games referendum.

It appears that the measure fared best in precincts within the 58th House District, represented by Delegate Locke Wysong, which includes the home of Charles Town Races & Slots. But even there, the precinct level-margin was never greater than 96 votes (or 62 percent).

Perhaps not surprisingly, the results tanked on the other end of the county, in the 57th District, represented by avowed referendum foe Delegate John Doyle. (Both Doyle and Wysong are Democrats, and the unofficial totals are 4,429 to 5,626 votes.)

The margins of defeat were as wide as 165 votes in those counties, with table games supporters combining for as little as one-fourth of the ballots cast.

MetroNews continues the table games post-mortem by examining how a key group declined to endorse the measure. The Journal of Martinsburg also weighs the impact of the measure's loss, while Public Broadcasting follows up both in Jefferson and Ohio counties (with audio link).

Update: The Charleston Daily Mail focuses on Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center's plans if Kanawha County approves table games (with graphic).

And... The Hagerstown Herald-Mail reported the back and forth between a Charles Town official and Delegate Doyle over the election outcome in Jefferson County (thanks to West Virginia Blue for outpointing the article).

Paper Is Beautiful

So says election officials in Ohio and Jefferson counties who recently handled the special elections addressing table games, The Associated Press reports.

"Counting the votes may take longer, but officials say it's easier than programming electronic machines or preparing scanned bubble sheets for a single yes or no question," the AP's Tom Breen writes.

They Voted For You: Alberto Gonzales

Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both Democrats, voted with 51 other senators to advance for consideration a resolution expressing "no confidence" in U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Requiring three-fifths of the Senate's approval, or 60 votes, the motion was rejected 53-38.

The Associated Press has the details.

Tennant: Trying Again for Sec. of State

Former broadcaster Natalie Tennant has joined the field of 2008 precandidates, announcing plans this week to run for secretary of state.

The Democrat and former West Virginia University mascot told The Associated Press on Monday that she planned to kick off her campaign officially on June 20, West Virginia Day.

Tennant previously sought her party's nod for the statewide office in 2004. Amid a field of seven candidates, she finished second with 25 percent of the vote. But those 65,947 votes put her within 1,118 votes of the nominee, Ken Hechler.

This time around, Tennant is joining House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, and Mountain Party member David Rao among the announced precandidates for Secretary of State. DeLong played football for WVU, while Tennant was its first (and to date only) female Mountaineer mascot. Tennant is also married to fellow broadcasting alumnus and freshman state Sen. Erik Wells, D-Kanawha.

Mineral County Hijinks

All is not peaceful in the Mineral County town of Ridgeley: from jail, "Mayor Mitchell Reeves fired two town employees who may have helped land the five-term mayor in the lockup for the second time in a month," The Associated Press reports.

W.Va. Sifts Through Special Election Split

The Associated Press' Tom Breen adopts a Dickensian view in following up to the weekend's table games referenda in Ohio and Jefferson counties.

Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center "began construction Monday morning on a poker room scheduled to open by Labor Day weekend," Breen reports. "Wheeling Island hopes to have other table games, like roulette and blackjack, up and running by Oct. 1."

Officials at Charles Town Races & Slots told AP not to expect downsizing in the wake of Saturday's defeat -- but the situation could change if nearby Maryland legalizes slot machines.

In the wake of the Saturday voting, the Charleston Daily Mail reports that the state United Methodist conference on Sunday "approved a resolution urging the defeat of local referendums that would allow table games at the state's casinos."

The Wheeling News-Register also focuses on reaction to the Ohio County result with news of job fairs for casino workers. The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, looks ahead to the upcoming special elections in Hancock and Kanawha counties.

The AP's Breen and Vicki Smith provided election night coverage that was picked up widely. MetroNews interviewed key players on both sides after the voting. Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval also opines on the Jefferson County outcome.

They Voted For You: Illegal Immigration

West Virginia Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both Democrats, helped derail the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007."

"Needing 60 votes to end debate and schedule a final vote on the bill itself, (bill supporters) won only 45," The Associated Press reported. "Senate leaders set aside the legislation until further notice."

The AP article also cites a recent Pew Research Center poll on the issue.

(This marks the debut of a new feature I've been tinkering with, which aims to increase coverage of the state's congressional delegation.)

W.Va. GOP Joining Super Duper Tuesday

The state GOP is finalizing a plan that could raise West Virginia's political profile and land the Mountain State on the 2008 presidential campaign trail.

It has slated Feb. 5 for a "State Presidential Convention" to choose 15 of its 27 delegates to the Republican Party's national convention later that year.

Dubbed 'Super Duper Tuesday,' more than a dozen states are already slated to vote for presidential candidates and convention delegates during party primary elections.

Setting West Virginia apart, the state GOP intends to complete its selection of the 15 delegates by mid-afternoon -- hours before the polls close in these other states.

The plan has caught the attention of The Hill newspaper. "While the state is not on the tip of most pundits’ tongues, that could change if a winner is announced as early as 11:30 a.m. on the West Coast," its article said.

“I believe it can have a big impact,” Robert Fish, head of "Republican Presidential Convention Inc." told The Hill. “This can give a winning characteristic to one of the campaigns.”

"One round of voting will begin in the morning to narrow the crowded field down to three candidates," The Hill reported. "Then the party will allow for a one-hour break, during which Fish envisions serious horse-trading, as the supporters of vanquished candidates look to sign on with one of the three top vote-getters. A giant tote board at the front of the room will keep score."

The Charleston Gazette's Tom Searls reports that the 15 will be picked by a pool of 1,413 state party members, elected in January during county caucuses and via online voting.

The Republican primary in May will choose 12 of the remaining national convention delegates.

The state GOP has outlined its presidential convention plan on its web site. "The Republican National Committee has not raised any objections, and the state party is anticipating getting the RNC’s “blessing” once the final rules and schedules are reviewed this month," The Hill article said.

The state Democratic Party, which continues to outnumber Republicans by nearly 2 to 1, has also proposed a method for selecting convention candidates.

Update: MetroNews also has a story on the GOP plan, with audio.

Quote of the Day

"I've gone from being an employee with a stellar record to a non-employee with no credit card."

-- Mia Moran-Cooper, longtime director of West Virginia's Problem Gamblers Help Network, to The Associated Press after she "found herself apparently fired without warning and stranded in Kansas City, Mo."

Whistleblower Sacked After Talking to Lawmakers

Appearing before legislative leaders may have come at a price for the outgoing director of West Virginia's nationally renowned problem gambler program.

Mia Moran-Cooper has told The Associated Press that she was fired without warning and left stranded in Missouri, one day after alleging the Lottery Commission had interfered with the Problem Gamblers Help Network.

Scheduled to leave at the end of the month, Moran-Cooper "had flown to Kansas City on Wednesday to attend a national conference on compulsive gambling, where she discovered her hotel room reservation and corporate credit card had been canceled," the AP's Vicki Smith reports.

"Moran-Cooper said her flight reservations also had vanished Wednesday afternoon, but an airline employee was able to retrieve them and issue her a boarding pass to Kansas City," the AP article said.

The AP has unsuccessfully sought from First Choice President Craig Curtis and CEO Scott Boileau, both by phone and via questions faxed to their office.

After Moran-Cooper spoke at a legislative interim meeting Tuesday, Curtis called Moran-Cooper's allegations 'unsubstantiated, misleading or false' in a statement. But Lottery Director John Musgrave asked the legislative auditor's office to investigate her allegations of interference and micromanagement.

The tumult comes as Jefferson and Ohio counties prepare to vote Saturday on whether to allow their local racetracks to become full-blown casinos. The AP's Vicki Smith has a separate story today setting the stage for the special elections, while MetroNews examines the ongoing campaigns by supporters and opponents of table games.

SupCo links ATVs To License Status

West Virginians with suspended or revoked driver's licenses cannot pilot all-terrain vehicles, a unanimous state Supreme Court has ruled.

The Associated Press has a story on the decision, which sets the new legal precedent that "An individual who operates an all-terrain vehicle on a public highway of this state may be prosecuted for committing the offense of driving while suspended or revoked."

The 5-0 ruling reinstates charges in Roane County against a motorist allegedly caught on an ATV while his license was revoked for repeat DUI. The style of the case, issued Wednesday, is State Ex Rel. Sergent v. Nibert.

GOP Fields 2nd '08 Challenger to Manchin

Eastern Panhandle businessman Bob Adams has announced plans to seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2008 and challenge incumbent Gov. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, The Associated Press reports.

Adams follows Joe Oliverio, a Republican painting contractor who previously ran for his party's nod for governor in 2004. A Clarksburg resident, Oliverio filed pre-candidacy papers in November 2005 (The Secretary of State had not added Adams to the online list of 95+ precandidates as of noon today).

Adams unsuccessfully challenged Treasurer John Perdue for that statewide office in 2004, attracting 37 percent of the vote to the incumbent Democrat's 63 percent. Adams lost by 178,183 votes.

But Adams but did carry eight of the state's 55 counties that year, including the Eastern Panhandle and some of the Potomac Highlands. However, he failed to carry that portion of Jefferson County that forms the 58th House District in the 2006 election. Incumbent Delegate Locke Wysong, then a freshman Democrat, defeated Adams with 61 percent of the vote.

Manchin won the 2004 race for governor with 64 percent of the vote. Carrying all but three counties, he bested Republican Monty Warner by 219,627 votes.

Those with articles heralding Adams' pre-candidacy filing include The Register-Herald of Beckley and WSAZ-TV. The Journal of Martinsburg has the story as well.

Table Games

Early voting in Ohio and Jefferson counties ended Wednesday, but not before at least 10 percent of registered voters in each county cast ballots on the table games question. In Jefferson County, early voting turnout exceeded 11 percent.

By comparison, less than eight percent of Jefferson County voters cast early ballots before the 2006 general election, which featured congressional and legislative races. In Ohio County, the November 2006 early voter turnout was 5.4 percent.

MetroNews has a story on the early voting, while Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval opines on the topic -- and offers predictions for both Saturday special elections.

As I reported early, gambling foes believe many of these early votes were cast in favor of casino table games. These opposing forces instead plan to rally in time for election day. The Wheeling newspapers covered the Sunday event organized by local churches opposed to table games.

The Charleston Daily Mail, meanwhile, reported on the efforts of the state's most prominent religious denomination targeting gambling. But as the Wheeling papers also reported this week, the tracks continue to offer to sweeten the deal if table games are approved.

Update: The Journal of Martinsburg covered a Wednesday debate on the table games issue.

Embedded in Afghanistan

Several West Virginia reporters have joined members of the Air National Guard's 130th Airlift Wing in Afghanistan to cover their latest deployment.

Public Broadcasting's Anna Sale has posted several stories on the PubCast blog, and also offers some audio.

Martin Staunton of West Virginia Media News is also there. That site also offers a number of video clips, including this interview with a 130th airman.

"The airmen are scheduled to serve about 45 days and will airlift troops, equipment and supplies throughout the region," Staunton reports.

NCLB in W.Va.

The nonprofit Center for Education Policy has found that Mountain State students have improved their scores on standardized tests since the federal No Child Left Behind Act became law. Associated Press education writer Shaya Tayefe Mohajer has the details.

"In West Virginia, the study found that overall student achievement increased between 2004 and 2006, as measured by the state's standardized test, the WESTEST," Tayefe Mohajer reports. "Gains were greater in math than in reading."

But the study's findings caution that it is "difficult to determine whether the federal reforms were the sole reason" for the higher scores, the AP article said.

Parting Shot Hits Lottery Over Helpline

After previously declining to comment publicly, the departing director of the state's program for problem gamblers lowered the boom Tuesday on the Lottery Commission.

The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports that Mia Moran-Cooper told legislative leaders "of a years-long pattern (by the commission) of interfering with the network's efforts to treat compulsive gamblers."

"Lottery tried to water down the network's advertising campaign, discouraged employees from talking to the media and asked for the names of Lottery employees who had sought treatment for gambling problems," Moran-Cooper alleges.

"Moran-Cooper said she can document between 20 and 30 such instances, ranging from attempts to manipulate data to efforts to discourage the network from advertising on billboards," the AP article said.

But the commission's defenders include her soon-to-be-former employer, First Choice. Its president said in a statement that many of Moran-Cooper's statements were "unsubstantiated, misleading or false," Breen reports.

Lottery Commissioner John Musgrave, meanwhile, said he planned to ask legislative auditors to review the situation "so that all concerns raised during the meeting can be fully resolved."

AP helped break the news last month on the Lottery Commission's plans to expand its oversight of the problem gambling hotline program. So did Public Broadcasting, which also follows up today (link should have audio).

MetroNews also has a story (with audio) on Tuesday's legislative interim meeting, as does The Register-Herald of Beckley. The Charleston Gazette offers its take as well.

GOP Lawmakers Target Body Wire Ruling

Republicans in the House of Delegates want a special session this year so the Legislature can respond to a state Supreme Court ruling addressing police electronic surveillance powers.

The Associated Press' Tom Breen has the story.

The GOP members seek legislation so any circuit judge could sign off on hiding recording devices on informants before they enter suspects' residences.

Ruling in a Boone County case, a 3-2 Supreme Court concluded in February that police cannot send a wired informant into someone's home without such an order. But Breen reports that "State law now authorizes only five circuit court judges throughout the state to issue such orders, and prohibits police from seeking them from within their own counties."

Breen quotes House Minority Leader Tim Armstead of Kanawha County and Delegate John Ellem of Wood County. Both are lawyers, while Ellem's practice also includes representing criminal defendants.

Armstead called on Gov. Joe Manchin to including the topic in any special session he may have planned for this year, or to convene one if he doesn't.

"Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg said the administration will research the issue more thoroughly before coming to the Legislature with proposals," Breen reports.

Breen also notes that a number of law enforcement groups have decried the ruling, which spurred separate dissenting opinions from Justices Elliott "Spike" Maynard and Brent Benjamin.

Table Games: Special Elections Loom

With Ohio and Jefferson counties voting Saturday on whether to allow casino table games at their racetracks, more than 4,200 people have already cast early ballots, The Associated Press reports.

For each county, the early votes represent more than 6 percent of their registered voters. By comparison, 5.5 percent of registered voters statewide cast early ballots before the November 2006 election. And, early voting continues through Wednesday in both counties.

The AP's Vicki Smith also delves into a largely unexamined provision of the new table games law. While most have focused on its language regarding traditional casino games, it would also allow electronic (i.e., no human dealer) multi-player poker, blackjack and the like.

"But West Virginia’s new legislation and emerging technology in the gambling industry give casino operators a choice they’ve never had before: Hire live dealers, who require salaries, benefits and overtime pay, or buy a $135,000 machine with a perky virtual dealer who never gets sick, never needs a break and can deal twice as many hands as her human counterpart," Smith writes.

The tracks are adamant that they won't go down that road.

“It’s a step that’s so far below table games it wouldn’t even be worth looking at,” Ted Arneault, president of Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort in Chester, told Smith. “We want the action, the crowd, and it would not add much over what we already have. We are after people yelling and screaming and having fun with other people.”

The Wheeling News-Register, meanwhile, underscores how the groups behind ad campaigns both for and against table games don't have to follow the disclosure rules that govern candidates.

"Issue-oriented political groups aren’t required to file campaign finance reports, and they don’t have to put disclaimers at the bottom of their ads, said West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office spokesman Ben Beakes. They don’t have to say how much money they spend overall, or who has contributed to their campaigns."

But Beakes also told reporter Joselyn King that these campaigns still can't deploy workers within 300 feet of a voting place, and they can’t buy votes. In my AP story, gambling foes question whether table games supporters are doing the latter by paying people $50 to take part in focus groups. Not true, supporters say.

Howard Dean in W.Va.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean rallied delegates of the National Federation of Democratic Women today at their annual meeting in Charleston, The Associated Press reports.

Dean touted his party's 2006 electoral gains while lambasting the GOP and President Bush. Iraq was a recurring topic.

The Republican National Committee was quick to respond. MetroNews also covered Dean's late morning speech.

Quote of the Day

"They said, 'Joe, you cannot hug the queen.' I wanted to, and I believe she needed one, but I refrained."

-- Gov. Joe Manchin, telling the National Federation of Democratic Women on Friday about his meeting Queen Elizabeth II during her recent trip to Virginia.

Rahall's Latest Middle East Mission

The Charleston Gazette's Tom Searls managed to snag U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall after his John Unger endorsement Thursday, and asked the 3rd District Democrat about his recent trip to Egypt, Lebanon, Israel and the West Bank.

Rahall told Searls that "weak leadership for Israelis and Palestinians leaves little hope for immediate change in the region."

Rahall also spoke to MetroNews Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval about the trip and the disheartening assessment it produced (with audio).

W.Va. Struggling To Account For ATV Deaths

Health care writer Tom Breen highlights West Virginia's lack of solid statistics on the number of and details behind all-terrain vehicle deaths in the Mountain State, in this story for The Associated Press.

It's a compelling "lede:"

"When 50-year-old Pentress resident Randy Marshall was killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident in Mingo County on Sunday, it was the 13th such death this year. Or the 14th. Or possibly the 15th.

No one seems to know, despite an order by Gov. Joe Manchin tasking the state with creating a comprehensive statewide report on fatal ATV crashes. The lack of such information, some experts say, is cloaking the severity of the state’s ATV safety problem."

Rahall, Mollohan endorse Unger

In a move that could likely give pause to any other would-be candidates, West Virginia's two Democratic U.S. House members have endorsed state Sen. John Unger in his bid to unseat 2nd District Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

Both showed up and spoke at the Berkeley County Democrat's press conference at the Capitol Complex launching his campaign. So did Nick Casey, state Democratic Party chairman.

The Rev. Dennis Sparks, executive director of the state Council of Churches, led the small crowd in attendance in prayer to start and end the press conference.

Casey told The Associated Press afterward that he and the party will wait until the May 2008 primary to endorse a candidate. But he also acknowledged the significance of Rahall and Mollohan backing a candidate so early in the process.

‘‘I think that’s something that other candidates really have to look at,’’ Casey said. ‘‘These two congressmen really made a declaration today.’’

Others who covered the press event and Unger's announced candidacy include The Journal of Martinsburg, The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews. The latter links includes audio of Hoppy Kercheval's interviews with both Casey and state GOP Executive Director Gary Abernathy on the statewide Talkline program Thursday.

Once Again, Duluth Passed Over For Junket

A number of West Virginia newspapers today have picked up The Associated Press version of a story that ran Thursday in the Charleston Daily Mail about state legislators heading to balmy Puerto Rico this month for the spring meeting of the Council of State Governments.

"Taxpayers will pick up the roughly $40,000 tab for sending 25 state legislators to Puerto Rico next month for a conference," the AP's take said. "State leaders will be staying at El Conquistador Resort and Golden Spa in Las Croabas overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel was voted best resort casino and hotel spa last year by the Caribbean Travel and Life magazine."

Other newspapers, including The (Wheeling) Intelligencer, have also done their own reporting on the junket.

Update: Both the Daily Mail and The Charleston Gazette opine on the upcoming junket in separate editorials today.

Also...state Sen. Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio and a scheduled participant, defended the trip on MetroNews' Talkline program (with audio).

Benjamin Revisits 2004 Election

Public Broadcasting reports on Supreme Court Justice Brent Benjamin's recent appearance at a National Press Club forum on judicial elections, where he talked about the 2004 race.

"Benjamin defeated then-Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw in the nastiest and most expensive court race in WV history," Public Broadcasting's Scott Finn Reports. "Most of the money spent on that race came from outside groups; trial lawyers targeted Benjamin, while business groups and Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship attacked McGraw. Blankenship alone spent more than $3M on the race."

But Benjamin "says he won because of McGraw’s mistakes – not Blankenship’s money."

Public Broadcasting also offers a print version as well as audio from last week's Washington, D.C., forum.

The Death Penalty in W.Va. - UPDATED

I have been covering the federal trial of George "Porgy" Lecco and Valerie Suzette Friend, stemming from the 2005 death of a drug informant. The U.S. District Court jury found them guilty on all charges against each in a 13-count indictment. The jurors have been deliberating since Wednesday on whether to sentence each to death or to life in prison without parole.

Update -The jury voted for death for both Lecco and Friend _ the first death sentences handed down in West Virginia in more than 40 years. The Associated Press has the story, while The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews were among those also in the courtroom for the penalty verdicts.

Before the jury resumed deliberations today after the holiday weekend, I wrote this piece for The Associated Press on what affect this federal death penalty case might have on state law.

This is the fourth death penalty case in West Virginia since capital punishment was restored on the federal level in 1988. It was abolished for state crimes in 1965; the last execution for state crimes was in 1959.

The previous federal death penalty cases in the state all ended short of the penalty phase now underway in the Lecco-Friend case. But five other states without capital punishment have seen federal prosecutors secure the death penalty within their borders since 1988.

Yet, the death penalty remains off the books in those states. One state has revived the death penalty since 1988: New York, in 1995. But a federal death sentence was not handed down in that state in modern times until February.