W.Va. Ponders Demand-Side Drug Policy

In the wake of reports that "drug and alcohol abusers consume $470 million a year in West Virginia funds through such direct costs as hospitalization, treatment and incarceration," state lawmakers are considering focusing on prevention and intervention to stanch such bleeding.

Advocates of this approach met Monday with Manchin administration officials, and also outlined proposals at a legislative interim meeting in the House Chamber.

The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reports on an effort to build substance abuse recovery center in that city, as model for other communities in the state.

"We can continue to talk, but the next step in this process has to involve assembling a funding plan and identifying a location to build this facility," Bob Hansen said in the article.

Hansen is CEO of Prestera Center and chairman of the Four Angels Project, "the name that community members have given their effort to build a long-term substance abuse recovery center."

As part of its ongoing coverage of the prevention angle, the Herald-Dispatch also notes Thursday's planned summit of the Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena.

The Charleston Gazette has also had a recent article on the topic.

Legislature 2008: Public Schools

The Associated Press reports on draft legislation endorsed by an interim subcommittee Monday that would give greater weight to the density of student populations when funding public education.

One state school official "estimated that the legislation would increase education funding by $36.9 million between 2008 and 2011.," AP reports. "Thirteen counties would see gains of $1 million or greater during that time, led by Berkeley County at $2.6 million. Three counties would see a net decrease: Pleasants, at $85,000; Wetzel, at $118,000; and Tyler, at $183,000."

The Journal of Martinsburg, meanwhile, relays concerns and proposals voiced at a recent forum for public school administrators in the Eastern Panhandle.

"While West Virginia’s schools have closed performance gaps and raised achievement standards for all of the subgroups monitored under the No Child Left Behind law in the last four years, an international educational gap is opening ever wider and needs to be addressed," the audience learned.

Legislature 2008: Asbestos Lawsuits

The business and insurance lobbies plan to resume their push next year for restrictions on lawsuits that seek damages for alleged exposure to asbestos and silica dust.

The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce has outlined its stance on the issue as it presents its policy positions in advance of the 2008 regular session.

Advocates for this stance also made their case Monday to lawmakers meeting for their monthly interim session. But as The Register-Herald of Beckley reports, lawyers who file such lawsuits on behalf of claimants were also on hand.

Bill Schwartz of the West Virginia Association for Justice, a trial lawyer group, "disputed the business community’s claim of a 'litigation explosion' in asbestos lawsuits, noting 123 were filed in 2005 in West Virginia, another 103 last year, and 27 to date this year."

Legislature 2008: DUI

Gov. Joe Manchin may propose legislation in January targeting drunken drivers "that raises punishment in proportion to the blood alcohol content," and also mandates breath-sensitive vehicle ignition locks for first offenders, The Register-Herald of Beckley reports.

Both that paper and MetroNews (with audio) also observe the push by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for such measures.

Jeri Thompson Comes to Charleston

The wife of GOP presidential contender Fred Thompson met briefly with reporters Monday before a closed door session with state legislators.

While in town, she also picked up her husband's endorsement from West Virginians For Life, which followed the lead of National Right to Life in backing his candidacy.

MetroNews has a story, and audio from an interview with Talkine's Hoppy Kercheval earlier in the day where she offers some interesting comments about Fox News (and The New York Times, for that matter).

WSAZ-TV also offers coverage online, while The Charleston Gazette has a photo.

At least a dozen state lawmakers have endorsed Thompson, including the House and Senate minority leaders. But he was recently surpassed by Mitt Romney in the number of delegates backing candidates who have signed up for the state party's Feb. 5 convention.

The most recent count gives Romney 64 delegates to Thompson's 62. Delegate registration ends Friday.

Byrd's Bacon for 2007 Topping $355 million

U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., has included 101 earmarks totaling $355 million in a series of eight bills before his Committee on Appropriations:

(Click image to enlarge.)

Congress has posted a roster of the year's appropriations measures, and offers both bill text and reports that detail earmarks by state and by requesting legislator.

Totals for the first three bills reflect compromises reached by a joint House-Senate conference committee.

Byrd has co-sponsors for some of the earmarks, and he also added his name to several requests by the Bush Administration.

The Charleston Daily Mail focuses on three of the bills, though with somewhat different totals. The Daily Mail also checks in with Citizens Against Government Waste, which has long railed against such pork.

"Despite what might seem an ample amount of pork spending, an analysis from independent watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste shows that the Democratic-controlled Congress has dramatically slashed earmark spending compared to two years ago, when Republicans were at the helm," the article said.

The watchdog group previously identified $2.28 billion worth of pork earmarked for West Virginia from 2000 to 2006, nearly all of it by Byrd. The total for 2006 was $239 million, compared to $398.6 million for 2005.

W.Va. GOP Needs Delegates for Convention - Updated

The clock is ticking for West Virginia Republicans to sign up as delegates for the party's Feb. 5 "Tsunami Tuesday" presidential convention.

As The Associated Press reports, the GOP had 344 of 1,446 slot filled as of Nov. 23, and the deadline is Friday.

Among some highlights:

• Fred Thompson has 55 delegates including: Senate Minority Leader Don Caruth, R-Mercer; House Minority Leader Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha; former congressman Mick Staton.

• Mitt Romney has 49, including: National Committeewoman Donna Gosney; state school board Vice President Priscilla Haden; former state Supreme Court Justice John McCuskey; Sue McKinney, Harrison County GOP chair and wife of the state chairman.

• Rudy Giuliani has 37, including: Wood County Commission President Rick Modesitt; Sens. Frank Deem of Wood County and Vic Sprouse of Kanawha.

• John McCain has 7: Mason County Commissioner Miles Epling; Fayette County GOP Chairman Gary Lilly; former lawmaker and veteran lobbyist Larry Swann.

• Mike Huckabee, 6: Ashley Stinnett, head of the state's Federation of Young Republicans.

• Duncan Hunter, 4: Marion County GOP Chairman Andrew Sabak.

• Ron Paul has 38, the third-most behind Thompson and Romney. Nearly all of his delegates are "at-large," instead of state or county party officials.

Update: The roster was updated this morning and lists 480 delegates, leaving convention planners with 966 unfilled spots or two-thirds of the total. Of these, 586 should be filled by county and state party officials while 380 are empty "at-large" seats.

So far, two counties, Kanawha and Pleasants, have enough "at-large" delegate candidates to require elections in January. Fourteen counties have seen anyone file yet for an at-large spot.

Here's an updated candidate list:

Candidate Delegates
Rudy Giuliani 46
Mike Huckabee 6
Duncan Hunter 4
Alan Keyes 0
John McCain 9
Ron Paul 49
Mitt Romney 63 (now 1st)
Fred Thompson 62
Gene Zarwell 0

Uncommitted: 241

Manchin Remains Interested in ARH Strike

After sending administration officials to monitor talks meant to end an ongoing nurses' strike, Gov. Joe Manchin has proposed a "cooling-off period."

As The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports, "Manchin suggested that striking nurses consider returning to their jobs for 90 days under the old contract while negotiations continue. He made the suggestion when he and a representative of Kentucky Gov.-elect Steve Beshear met with union officials at the state Capitol."

The strike targets hospitals owned by Appalachian Regional Healthcare. "About 600 of the 750 registered nurses at ARH hospitals have refused to cross the picket line," AP reports. "With seven facilities in Eastern Kentucky and two in West Virginia, Lexington-based ARH is the region's largest hospital system."

Armstrong Firing Makes National News

The Library Journal has a 410-word story on this month's firing of Fred Armstrong as the state's longtime archives and history director, observing that "librarians, local history buffs, and one major elected official have stood up in his defense."

That official, West Virginia Library Association (WVLA) president Judith Duncan, wrote a letter to The Charleston Gazette calling the firing a "travesty [to] be thoroughly investigated and corrected.”

Gov. Joe Manchin told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he retains confidence in supervisors at the Department of the Education and the Arts who fired Armstrong or signed off on that decision.

Legislature 2008: Jail Costs

While West Virginia's Supreme Court has ordered Cabell County to pay past-due regional jail fees, as The Associated Press reports, the unanimous justices also urged legislative action on the issue as well.

“The Legislature has imposed upon the county courts ’greater burdens than their revenues justify,”’ this week's ruling said. “That the counties are in need of some form of relief from fully shouldering the costs of the regional jails seems clear.”

Justice Larry Starcher also focuses on possible provisions for lawmakers to consider come January, in his concurring opinion.

Ancil Ramey, a lawyer for Cabell County in the case, tells MetroNews (audio here) "the opinion leaves the door open for the legislature to make a way for Cabell County to avoid paying the amount that it hasn’t paid since 2004.

"I think ultimately everybody can be a winner if the legislature takes a serious look at this," Ramey told MetroNews.

W.Va. Supreme Court KO's $76m Massey verdict

In a 3-2 decision, the state Supreme Court has overturned the $76.3 million judgment that Massey Energy Co. faced from a 2002 Boone County verdict arising from a coal contract dispute.

The majority found that Massey's "egregious" conduct justified the judgment and plunged both Harman Mining Co. and its president, Hugh Caperton (a cousin of former Gov. Gaston Caperton), into bankruptcy.

But it concluded "the law simply did not permit this case to be filed in West Virginia." To explain that finding, the opinion runs 63 pages and features 37 footnotes.

The result drew sharp dissents from Justices Larry Starcher and Joseph Albright.

The Associated Press reports on the ruling. The Charleston Gazette, WSAZ-TV and WWOWK-TV also have coverage.

Massey's lawyers had sought Starcher's removal from the case, citing his repeated public comments critical of the company and its chief, Don Blankenship.

Some of those remarks targeted Blankenship's George Soros-like spending on political activities,. In particular was his (estimated) $3.5 million campaign that helped oust Democrat Warren McGraw and elect Republican Brent Benjamin in the 2004 Supreme Court race. Much of the money went to a "527" group, "And For The Sake Of The Kids."

Lawyers for Harman and Caperton cited that 2004 spending to press for Benjamin's recusal. To support that argument, they noted that AFTSOTK was organized seven weeks after Massey lost a post-trial bid to gut the verdict.

Blankenship had also sent Massey workers a memo at that time, declaring that the verdict "will play a role in furthering impoverishing the children of our state," these lawyers argued.

Wednesday's ruling sets a number of new legal precedents. Most address the clause in contracts that governs the forums for resolving such disputes.

Lawyers for both Massey and the plaintiffs argued the case earlier in the term.

More Robocalls Target Capito

A second left-leaning group is urging 2nd District voters to contact U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito in another series of automated phone calls.

American Family Voices alleges the four-term Republican has allowed China to import unsafe products by underfunding federal inspection agencies.

While it mentions such products as pet foods and children's toys, it cites no specific votes. Supporting information did not appear readily available on the web site.

The robocall also repeatedly refers to "Congresswoman Moore Capito." If it's any consolation, even President Bush has botched her name in public appearances.

Jeri Thompson Coming to Charleston

The wife of GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson is planning a Monday visit to the state capital to meet and thank supporters and volunteers, his campaign has announced.

Details are forthcoming. The Associated Press has an item, as does MetroNews.

They Voted For You: Risky Mortgages

West Virginia's U.S. House delegation helped pass the "Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act" last week.

Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, all voted for the measure, which passed 291-127.

"It now goes to the Senate, where a similar bill has been stalled for weeks," The Associated Press reports, observing also that "Republicans and the White House warned that congressional meddling with mortgage markets could make things worse. Many Republicans argued the bill would make it harder for borrowers to refinance loans due to reset at higher interest rates, and make it almost impossible for poor people to get loans to buy a house."

(Capito was among 64 House Republicans to support the legislation, while the Democrats were unanimous.)

Byrd Turns 90

West Virginia's senior U.S. Senator, and history's longest-serving member of that body, celebrated his 90th birthday on Tuesday.

Friends, supporters and staffers threw a surprise party for Sen. Robert C. Byrd last week in Washington, D.C.

MetroNews has perhaps the biggest spread marking Byrd's milestone, with a lengthy article, sidebars featuring well-wishers and Byrd's marks on history, and a photo gallery.

Others with coverage: the Charleston Daily Mail (w/photo gallery), The Charleston Gazette, The Register-Herald of Beckley, and WSAZ-TV.

Counties Banding Together over Library Funding

Eight counties plan to petition the Supreme Court over special laws that set aside property tax revenues for libraries, with Berkeley County the latest to join the effort, The Journal of Martinsburg reports.

Nine counties have these special laws including Kanawha County, which went to the Supreme Court last year arguing that the state's school aid formula fails to compensate those counties when it parcels out education funds.

Legislature 2008: Campaign Finance

Come January, the West Virginia Council of Churches plans to resume its push for the public financing of legislative campaigns, The Register-Herald of Beckley reports.

“We think our legislators, or people who run for office, are so tied down by the need to get money that that becomes such an emphasis that they can’t focus on the issues and really listen to their constituents, the voters," Rev. Dennis Sparks, the group's executive director, tells the newspaper.

Roadblocks will include Delegate Kelli Sobonya. "I don’t want my tax dollars paying for, say, Al Gore to run for president. It’s ridiculous," the Cabell County Republican said.

(While it's not exactly tax dollars, presidential candidates have had access to public funding since 1976.)

The Push for "Clean Coal" Hits a Snag

A publicly owned company trying to build power plant in southern West Virginia fueled by coal waste "missed a $100,000 payment on a $4.87 million bank loan earlier this month," The Associated Press reports.

AP Business Writer Tim Huber found that Western Greenbrier Co-Generation could have gained more time to refinance its $4.87 million loan with First National Bank of Ronceverte, had it made the payment, and that "negotiations to refinance the loan with another bank also fell through."

"Western Greenbrier is trying to build a 98 megawatt electric plant in Rainelle. The plant would serve as a demonstration project by using coal waste, or gob, for fuel<" Huber writes. "It also would make cement from coal ash and other waste, and provide heat to nearby businesses."

Western Greenbrier is owned by the Greenbrier County cities of Rainelle, Quinwood and Rupert, AP notes.

The Purpose of Table Games

West Virginia's four racetracks argued they needed casino table games to one-up the competition. The tracks had long drawn gamblers from surrounding states with its video lottery slot- and poker-style machines. But then Pennsylvania got into the mix with slot casinos that began opening late last year.

As The Associated Press reports, the field is destined to become more crowded: both Kentucky and Maryland are on course toward put gambling on the ballot in November 2008. Maryland's plan would put 10,000 slot machines within 90 minutes of Charles Town Races & Slots. Kentucky's governor-elect wants to expand that state's racetracks into casinos while allowing freestanding gambling venues along its borders.

Legislature 2008

Eastern Panhandle lawmakers outline potential 2008 session issues to The Journal of Martinsburg. They include regional jail bills, raising the "sin" tax on beer and home rule.

But annexation remains a top item, both for these legislators and for one of their colleagues who pitched the topic to The Register-Herald of Beckley.

Election 2008: Republicans

The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler has this Monday column item on an apparent GOP brainstorming session as the party searches for candidates for key 2008 races.

The Intelligencer of Wheeling, meanwhile, talks to former Delegate Chris Wakim, R-Ohio, about a potential 2008 rematch with U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st.

Claude "Big Daddy" Ellis: 1926-2007

The city of Logan lost its mayor Thursday, while West Virginia is left with one less "tough boy."

Claude "Big Daddy" Ellis, 81, was a key figure in the widely suspected vote-buying that helped John F. Kennedy win the Mountain State's primary during the 1960 presidential campaign.

Ellis and other chief players spoke at length for a 2003 book on the topic: "West Virginia Tough Boys: Vote Buying, Fist Fighting, And A President Named JFK."

The Logan Banner has a story on Ellis' death.

They Voted For You: Iraq

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., voted Friday to advance the "Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act" that passed the House on Wednesday.

The 53-45 tally failed to garner a sufficient majority. It also followed a GOP-led push for an alternative measure addressing Iraq funding that fell short as well, 45-53.

Byrd and Rockefeller both voted against that alternative.

The Associated Press has the details. "(Sen. Majority Leader Harry) Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said this week that if Congress cannot pass legislation that ties war money to troop withdrawals, they would not send President Bush a bill this year," AP reports.

"Instead, they would revisit the issue upon returning in January, pushing the Pentagon to the brink of an accounting nightmare and deepening Democrats' conflict with the White House on the war."

Election 2008: Robocalls

With just under a year until the 2008 election, U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is already bearing the brunt of automated phones calls to voters in the four-term Republican's 2nd House District.

The recording from the "Campaign to Defend America" says Capito "continues to support an endless American quagmire in Iraq's civil war," while "Democrats in Congress want to bring our troops home through responsible redeployment."

The pro-Democrat campaign is part of Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, a coalition of a dozen like-minded groups.

SourceWatch has more details on that umbrella organization, while the campaign is/was looking for a CFO.

The robocalls quickly followed Wednesday's vote on an Iraq funding measure, which also earned Capito a scathing press release from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Capito decried the legislation as a "politically motivated" maneuver "that would undercut the decision-making power of commanders on the ground in Iraq," The Charleston Gazette reports.

Arguing that "we’ve seen hopeful signs of progress on security and localized political reconciliation," Capito in her statement said "now is not the time to pull the rug out from under our troops, who are performing admirably and achieving results."

W.Va. Troops Make The "News"

The Onion, that is. At least one West Virginian (the female soldier later in the clip refers to Marshall, so maybe two) in Iraq proved a good sport for this segment from America's favorite parody newspaper.

They Voted For You: Iraq

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted late Wednesday for legislation that The Associated Press reports would provide $50 billion for the Iraq war but also "require President Bush to start bringing troops home in coming weeks with a goal of ending combat by December 2008."

Rep. Shelley Moore, R-2nd, voted against HR 4156, which prevailed 218-203.

Four Republicans crossed party lines to support the measure, while 15 Democrats opposed it.

The AP calls the bill "largely a symbolic jab at Bush," as troop reductions have already begun, and deems it unlikely to clear the Senate.

"The White House pledged to veto the bill, and Republicans said they would back the president," the AP article said.

A $470 million Price Tag

Drug and alcohol abusers consume $470 million a year in West Virginia funds through such direct costs as hospitalization, treatment and incarceration, a new study has found.

As The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports, an author of that research has contrasted such spending with the less than $8 million devoted annually toward prevention.

Wayne Coombs, director of the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center, also speculated that lost productivity and other indirect costs could increase the annual toll to $1.8 billion.

"That's what I would call a heck of a burden to taxpayers right there,'' Coombs told AP.

At least some folks are focused on prevention. The Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership plans to hold a drug summit Nov. 29, The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reports.

The Charleston Gazette also has a story on Coombs' research and the ongoing Charleston conference addressing substance abuse at which it was presented.

Archives Protest Planned

The Mining Your History Foundation plans to lead a Friday rally at the Capitol Complex's Cultural Center to protest "Manchin administration proposals to convert the current location of the archives library in the Cultural Center into a café/catering facility/gift shop," The Charleston Gazette reports.

Organizers say the move was also prompted by the Nov. 1 firing of Fred Armstrong as longtime Archives and History director.

“With Fred’s firing, historians and genealogists realize now they better step up to the plate and do something,” foundation board member Kellis Gillespie told The Gazette.

The West Virginia Library Association, meanwhile, hopes to agree on a formal statement "to make clear to state leaders that they support Armstrong and want his firing reviewed," the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

Table Games Update

Suffering the same trend as West Virginia's other Northern Panhandle track, Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center has reported a 50 percent drop in third quarter profits.

The Associated Press has the details. As with nearby Mountaineer Casino Resort & Racetrack, the loss is blamed on Pennsylvania's competing slot machine venues.

But as underscored by Mountaineer's tweaked name, that track and Wheeling maintain faith in casino table games coming to the rescue. Both opened poker rooms in October (the quarter ended Sept. 30), with other games to follow.

Yet, their real and potential competitors aren't sitting still.

As the AP also reports, Maryland lawmakers are meeting in special session to consider a $1.7 billion budget deficit reduction package than relies on state-sanctioned gambling. "A proposal to hold a referendum in November 2008 on legalizing slots already has passed the Senate," the article said.

(The House there appears to differ over where to locate proposed slot parlors, according to The Baltimore Sun.)

The Intelligencer of Wheeling also has a story on the local track's quarterly report.

Lawson W. Hamilton Jr.: 1923-2007

Before his death Wednesday at age 84, Lawson W. Hamilton Jr. had become a legend in several respects: as a successful coal operator, an often-anonymous philanthropist and a key figure in the state's select pantheon of GOP donors.

The Associated Press has a report on his passing, as does the Charleston Daily Mail and MetroNews (with audio). (Update: The Charleston Gazette also has a story.)

Hamilton's support was sought by generations of Republican politicians, though he also contributed to the occasional Democrat. He gave at least $105,000 in the last decade to federal and state candidates and causes, including $25,000 for the 1997 inauguration of Gov. Cecil Underwood.

But Hamilton was perhaps more-well known for his charitable giving - to hospitals, for cancer research, to co-found Kids Count, to name just a few.

Yet, Hamilton often kept a low profile in his giving, as when he donated about $500,000 in gold leaf for the state Capitol dome in 1990. His gift became known only when he joined calls in 1998 to address the black streaks that had marred it.

Bo Meets Byrd

The office of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd released this photo today after the West Virginia Democrat met with actors Bo Derek and John Corbett, a Wheeling native.

The couple was on Capitol Hill "to discuss legislation to prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption," the accompanying release said. "Byrd is an original sponsor of the legislation. "

Manchin Wades Into Nurses' Strike

Aides to Gov. Joe Manchin will be on hand to observe talks in between Appalachian Regional Healthcare and striking nurses, The Charleston Gazette reports.

The negotiations in Lexington, Ky., aim to resolve a strike that began Sept. 30 at nine hospitals in that state and West Virginia.

"When the strike began, ARH had more than 700 registered nurses working at nine facilities, including hospitals in Beckley and Hinton, as well as seven hospitals in Kentucky," the Gazette reports.

Since then the hospitals "have hired hundreds of nurses to work during the strike, including 150 permanent replacement workers," the article said.

Several striking nurses from Beckley visited Manchin on Tuesday to make their case. "Both the union and hospital management agreed to let Manchin’s representative sit in on the talks," one of these nurses told The Gazette.

Nursing Home Merger Raises House Dem Hackles

Democratic leaders in the House of Delegates are sounding alarms over the pending $4.9 billion buyout of a national nursing home chain with seven facilities in West Virginia.

As both Public Broadcasting and The Charleston Gazette report, the lawmakers are questioning the state Health Care Authority's approval of the sale to the Carlyle Group investment firm of Heartland nursing homes in Beckley, Charleston, Clarksburg, Keyser, Kingwood, Martinsburg and Rainelle.

The sale is part of a larger deal by Carlyle to acquire HCR Manor Care, an S&P 500 company with about 60,000 employees "at more than 500 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and hospice and home health care offices."

The West Virginia lawmakers echoed concerns raised by their counterparts in Pennsylvania and Florida, among other states.

The legislators, in turn, appear to be following the lead of the Service Employees International Union, which urged greater scrutiny by state health care regulators last month.

Carlyle has countered that the union's campaign "is aimed at unionizing employees and not improving patients' health care."

Election 2008: State Senate

* Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, had weighed a Supreme Court run in 2008 but will instead seek re-election to his current seat, The Intelligencer of Wheeling reports.

* Republican Bob Adams may drop out of the 2008 governor's race and instead vie to succeed Sen. John Yoder, R-Jefferson, who is aiming for a circuit judge seat next year.

"We’re keeping all of our options open. Sen. Yoder’s announcement was unexpected, at least unexpected by me, and we are giving it serious consideration,” Adams told The Journal of Martinsburg.

Supreme Court Sets Jan. Hearing in Pension Merger Dispute

Options appear limited for addressing the pension woes of more than 1,000 retirement-ready educators, after the state Supreme Court delayed any possible action in the situation until 2008.

As The Charleston Gazette reports, the court has set a Jan. 8 hearing for the Consolidated Public Retirement Board to argue that the justices should hear its appeal in the case.

Earlier this year, a Kanawha Circuit Court judge blocked the proposed merger of 401(k)-style retirement accounts with the state's traditional pension fund for teachers. A number of these account holders, in the Teachers Defined Contribution (TDC) program, argued that the state was taking their private property with its merger plan. The judge agreed.

With the 2008 regular session starting the day after the Supreme Court hearing, lawmakers are unlikely to meddle unless the justices refuse to hear the case.

And the timing is also bad for state officials for another reason. They told the Gazette "that even if the court agrees to (hear) the appeal and overturns the lower court ruling, it would take about six months to complete the merger — too late to accommodate TDC participants who hoped to retire in June."

2008 Election Notes

In addition to Monday's announcement by state Sen. John Yoder, R-Jefferson, the latest 2008 precandidacy filings show:

• Delegate Jack Yost, D-Brooke, has switched his precandidacy status from undeclared to the 1st District seat being vacated by Sen. Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio.

• Huntington lawyer Menis Ketchum has become the fifth Democrat to test the waters in the two-seat Supreme Court race;

• Martinsburg resident Frank Kula is considering running as an independent for governor;

Quote of the Day

“There are just certain things I have no control over.”

-- Gov. Joe Manchin, commenting to reporters on the abrupt firing of longtime Archives & History Director Fred Armstrong.

(Speaking of which, Public Broadcasting focuses on the issue underlying Armstrong's ouster and ensuing tumult.)

Another GOP Incumbent Leaving W.Va. Senate

At least three of the seven GOP incumbents up for re-election in the state Senate next year won't be seeking another term.

The latest is Sen. John Yoder, who said today that he instead plans to run for circuit judge in his Jefferson County district.

Yoder hopes to succeed a retiring Judge Thomas Steptoe in the 23rd Judicial District. Yoder's resume includes time as a trial-level judge in Kansas in the late 1970s, and as a staffer at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sen. Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio, recently announced his 2008 bid for mayor of Wheeling. Sen. Vic Sprouse, R-Kanawha, said earlier this year that he would not run for another term.

Two additional GOP senators up next year have also expressed interest in seeking other posts.

At least 2 of the 10 Democrats up in 2008 have ruled out another run as well. Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming, is instead vying for secretary of state while Sen. Jon Blair Hunter, D-Monongalia, is retiring.

Republicans hold 11 of 34 seats in the state Senate.

Taking a Page from the Bush-Cheney Playbook?

A recent appearance by Hillary Clinton at an Iowa forum last week saw her fielding at least one question planted in the audience by her campaign staff beforehand, The Associated Press reports.

An aide to the New York senator asked an audience member, a student at Grinnell College, to pitch a question to the Democratic presidential front-runner about global warming, the AP article said.

The college's student newspaper broke the story, after interviewing the student.

Various permutations of such a stunt have repeatedly been attributed to the Bush-Cheney administration.

Examples include:

• Pre-arranged questions at a October 2005 videoconference between the president and troops in Iraq (commented on here and here);

• The planting of James Guckert/Jeff Gannon at White House press conferences and briefings;

• Secret payments to Armstrong Williams and other opinion writers;

• A series of allegedly staged and scripted "Town Hall" meetings on Social Security (mentioned here, here, here and here);

• A fake October press conference rigged by FEMA officials and staffers, as perhaps the most recent episode (AP story here).

The 2000 and 2004 elections, meanwhile, featured allegations of carefully screened and orchestrated "public" events. While some were arranged by the campaign, an official 2004 Fourth of July visit to West Virginia's Capitol sparked a recently settled lawsuit (background also here).

The lawsuit, in turn, helped yield a heavily redacted Presidential Advance Manual that details tactics deployed to ferret out and and deal with agitators real or perceived (That visit also included a softball interview with local media).

During her August visit to the Mountain State, Clinton held a Town Hall-style meeting, an hour-long event at West Virginia State University.

At least one question wasn't planted: the one about Iraq posed by Rev. Jim Lewis, shortly after Clinton ignored the prayer vigil he and West Virginia Patriots for Peace held outside her downtown Charleston fundraiser.

Lewis pressed her about withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq. Members of that audience also asked her about:

• Health care (that question came from an AARP member as part of its Divided We Fail campaign, which is appealing to all the presidential candidates);

• China (the trade imbalance, the buying of U.S. debt and the rash of tainted imported consumer products);

• The status of women in the U.S. (unequal pay);

• Illegal immigration (posed by a student on behalf of those who follow the naturalization process).

Phony baloney public events appear to be all the rage these days. Consider Sen. John McCain's observations of "carefully staged campaign events" by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after he helped the California Republican promote November 2005 ballot initiatives.

And in Japan, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration was caught staging Town Hall meetings late last year.

The War for Gambling Dollars: The Western Front

With some of West Virginia's racetracks reporting declines in revenues blamed on competition from Pennsylvania, folks are already attuned to a drive by some in nearby Maryland to legalize slot machines.

But Tuesday's election of Democrat Steve Beshear as governor of Kentucky exposes the Mountain State's flank to a push for legalized gambling there as well, as the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

"Beshear wants to expand casino-style gambling at up to four new freestanding locations along the state's borders with Illinois, West Virginia and Indiana," as "all three states offer such gambling on or near their borders," the article said.

Beshear wants Kentucky lawmakers to put the issue on the statewide ballot in November 2008. "Under Beshear's plan, gambling also would be added to the state's racetracks if voters approved the referendum," the Daily Mail reports.

West Virginia's Northern Panhandle tracks say they're already reaping rewards from voter-approved casino table games, which debuted last month with the opening of poker rooms at those two tracks.

The Eastern Panhandle's Charles Town track, however, saw Jefferson County reject the games there. And while Kanawha County ok'd table games for Nitro's Tri-State track, their value may depend on how far Kentucky goes.

"John Cavacini, president of the West Virginia Racing Association, said it still would be three years before Tri-State faced competition from Kentucky if that state's voters go along with the plan," the Daily Mail reported. "And it's still not clear to what extent Beshear wants to expand gambling -- just to video slots, or to table games as well."

They Voted for You: Taxes

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, helped pass the "Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007."

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, opposed the bill, but as The Associated Press explains, "Not one House Republican voted for it."

"The 216-193 vote to 'patch' the alternative minimum tax for a year sends the issue to the Senate, where its prospects are at best uncertain," the AP article said. "The White House and Republicans, protesting tax increases in the bill affecting mainly investment fund managers, maintained that it would never become law."

Manchin: No Role in Armstrong Firing

While praising Fred Armstrong's "tremendous service for the state," Gov. Joe Manchin told the Charleston Daily Mail that he was not involved in his firing as archives chief but stood by those who were.

"I have all the confidence in (state Education and Arts secretary) Kay Goodwin and her administrative heads that they would do their jobs," Manchin told the newspaper Friday. "I have all the confidence they would do the job they need to do to get the services we desire to give the people of West Virginia.

Manchin also questioned the speculated reasons behind Armstrong's ouster.

Update: The Charleston Gazette also quizzed the governor Friday.

Update II: WSAZ-TV has video of the Q-&-A with the governor.

Big Coal vs. Big Gas

It's been brewing since Gov. Joe Manchin's failed legislation from August's special session: a dispute over the proximity of new natural gas wells to minable coal seams.

The West Virginia Coal Association and others in the industry have now asked the state Supreme Court to block their gas counterparts from obtaining special permit waivers from the Oil & Gas Conservation Commission.

As The Associated Press reports, the coal interests argue the commission lacks jurisdiction over the kind of well the gas operators seek to drill. They also contend that the closer these wells are drilled to each other, the more they force conflicts with state and federal mine safety rules.

The justices voted 4-0 to consider the writ of prohibition.

They Voted For You: Mukasey

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., voted against President Bush's nominee for U.S. attorney general.

The Senate voted 53-40 to confirm Michael B. Mukasey.

The Associated Press has the story.

Manchin Back from China

After tagging along for its eight-day visit to China, Public Broadcasting's Scott Finn assesses the trade mission of West Virginia business leaders headed by Gov. Joe Manchin.

"We walk away from the trip with nothing concrete — no new promises of jobs, no commitment to build a factory in West Virginia," Finn writes on his blog from the trip. "But I don’t think that’s a realistic expectation."

Finn also spoke at length to Public Broadcasting's Beth Voorhees about the trade mission. Audio here.

Table Games Paying Off, Updated

After reporting a surge in slot play since the Oct. 19 debut of poker tables, Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort posted an $11.5 million drop in net revenues during the quarter that ended Sept. 30.

The Associated Press offers the details. The track's parent, MTR Gaming Group Inc., reported an overall loss of $2.8 million.

President and CEO Ted Arneault blamed the track's revenue slide on the competing Pennsylvania slot venues that helped fuel the push to legalize casino table games in West Virginia.

"Profitability was also hurt by MTR's spending on marketing," AP's Vicki Smith reports. "The track spent $900,000 on a customer-loyalty program during the quarter and $600,000 to support a local referendum that ultimately passed and allowed the track to launch poker, blackjack and other table games."

But Mountaineer soon plans to increase the tables in its new poker room to at least 41. "It's a dynamite room, and so far, that's all we can really judge... On the weekends, there's standing room only," Arneault said.

"Another 50 games, such as blackjack and roulette, should debut by Jan. 1," the AP article said.

They Voted For You: Military Spending

In the shadow of the latest face-off over funding operations in Iraq, the U.S. House on Thursday approved a $471 billion defense spending bill.

All three of West Virginia's members of that chamber - Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd - all voted with the 400-15 majority.

But the massive legislation "does not include President Bush's $196 billion request for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, except for an almost $12 billion infusion for new troop vehicles that are resistant to roadside bombs, The Associated Press reports.

Team Romney Lands Key W.Va. GOP Official

West Virginia Republican National Committeewoman Donna Gosney has signed on with the Mitt Romney campaign as as co-chair of its state steering committee.

Gosney joins co-chair and Delegate Bob Ashley, R-Roane, who was named when the steering committee was announced in August.

The state's Republican National Committeeman, James Reed, is backing Rudy Giuliani.

West Virginia Democratic national committee members, Marie Prezioso and Pat Maroney, have thrown their support behind Hillary Clinton.

They Voted For You: Water Bill Veto Override

The U.S. Senate followed the lead of the House and voted Thursday to override President Bush's veto of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.

Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., were with the majority in the 79-14 vote.

The override is the first suffered by Bush in his seven-year-old presidency, The Associated Press reports.

Legislature 2008: Teacher Pay

The West Virginia Education Association has unveiled its priority agenda for the regular session that begins in January, and the Charleston Daily Mail has the details:

• $35,000 salaries for starting teachers, matching the national average, up from the state average of $29,114;

• $49,109 average salaries for other W.Va. teachers, also per national figures, and up from the current level of $38,284 (that's a $10,825 hill to climb).

"Salary is the most important thing we do to keep a qualified teacher in the classroom," WVEA President Charlie Delauder told the Daily Mail.

Bonus Quote of the Day

"I just feel like, with all those years of service, to be treated this way... even though I am an at-will (employee), I still haven't decided what I'm going to do."

-- Fired state Archives and History Director Fred Armstong, telling MetroNews Talkline that he hasn't ruled out filing a grievance over his abrupt ouster last week (with audio).

Quote of the Day

"I think if he was our age, somebody would have punched him in the face."

-- One of several anonymous congressional aides who complained to The Hill that an "assertive" U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., "barged into," "shoulder-checked" and even "trampled" them and other patrons at the Capitol Lounge during several trips to and from a seat at the bar. (“That’s ludicrous,” the 3rd District congressman said, through a spokeswoman, when asked about the Nov. 1 evening incident.)

Update: Rahall's spokeswoman tells The Charleston Daily Mail the story is a "complete fabrication," "concocted by 20-something Republican staffers with an axe to grind."

W.Va. GOP Convention Update - Updated

In advance of a Nov. 30 deadline, at least 80 Mountain State Republicans have filed for the 1,446 delegate seats slated for the party's "Tsunami Tuesday" Feb. 5 presidential convention, The Associated Press reports.

About 60 percent of the spots will be filled automatically, by county and state party officials and GOP officeholders.

But the party also needs candidates for 610 slots that will be decided when Republicans vote online or at county conventions in January.

Of the 80 people who filed as of Monday, 47 seek those at-large spots. Chairman Bob Fish is banking on the convention web site, e-mails and county-level events to spread the word. The convention also has an advertising budget, he said.

"We're really staking the measure of success on the level of representation we see at the convention," Fish told AP. "That means having as close to 1,446 delegates as possible. That will be the real telling point."

Convention organizers have posted an updated roster of delegates online, along with the necessary registration forms and other info.

"At least 20 other states plan to hold primaries or caucuses Feb. 5," the article said. "But organizers expect West Virginia's convention to post the first results by several hours, potentially giving the party a prominent role in national press coverage."

More than half of the delegates who have registered so far, meanwhile, are not committed to any of the nine participating presidential candidates. Fish said that trend could encourage the candidates to attend personally and make a pitch to delegates during the two-hour speech period.

"It could be that we're seeing people who are planning to make up their mind at the convention," Fish told AP. "If one candidate comes in and really presents himself well, that could be the determining factor."

Update: The number of delegate filings has risen to 104, including 64 for at-large spots. More than half the would-be delegates are uncommitted. Of the rest, 17 support Fred Thompson, 15 support Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul have six apiece.

Update II: The GOP in New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming have found out the hard way that the national party is serious about Feb. 5 being the earliest date to hold primaries or caucuses. The Republican National Committee has stripped each state of half its delegates to the September presidential convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, AP reports.

They Voted For You: Anti-Gay Discrimination

U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, voted for legislation Wednesday "to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."

U.S. Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which prevailed 235-184.

"Passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act came despite protests from some gay rights supporters that the bill does not protect transgender workers," The Associated Press reports. "That term covers transsexuals, cross-dressers and others whose outward appearance does not match their gender at birth."

"A veto from President Bush is expected if the proposal does pass the Senate," the AP article continues.

Quote of the Day

"At the end of the day, I'm pretty pooped. I'm full of piss and vinegar after I get up and can work hard."

-- Author and statesman Ken Hechler, 93, who tells The Charleston Daily Mail he remains active and plans to write four more books after publishing a 155-page historical work earlier this year.

Table Games Paying Off?

The owners of West Virginia's four racetracks argued they needed casino table games to blunt the threat of competition from gambling legalized by neighboring states.

At least one track says the initial results are proving them right.

"Slot play at Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in Chester has surged 13.6 percent compared to the same period last year since the Northern Panhandle track opened 37 poker tables Oct. 19," the track reported to The Associated Press last week.

Both Mountaineer and nearby Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center began offering table games Oct. 19, with Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center slated to follow suit.

Voters in those three counties approved table games in elections earlier this year, while Jefferson County voted them down for Charles Town Races & Slots.

AP reported last month that the latter's track owner suffered a sharp fall in earnings during the third quarter.

The state Lottery Commission expressed optimism to The Charleston Gazette last week that table games would shore up lagging video lottery revenues at the Northern Panhandle tracks.

The Lottery gets a hefty take from the thousands of video lottery terminals hosted at all four tracks, and also gets a share from the new table games.

West Virginia's main competitor for gamblers is Pennsylvania, which began opening slot casinos late last year. But in his online column today, MetroNews Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval considers the move afoot in Maryland to join the pack.

School Funding Projects Put on Hold

West Virginia's School Building Authority has postponed considering any funding requests until March, so it can hit up the Legislature for $100 million backed by the sale of bonds, The Associated Press reports.

SBA Executive Director Mark Anthony Manchin tells the AP's Shaya Tayefe Mohajer that the written requests already submitted by 42 counties total $254 million - five time's what's available.

"The funding is for projects generally costing $1 million or more, such as new school construction or adding classrooms," the article said. "Typically, counties with construction needs would be interviewed this month, but Manchin says those interviews won't begin until mid-March, after the session is over. Funding announcements will still be made July 1."

The Journal of Martinsburg localizes the story, focusing on the quest Berkeley and Jefferson counties for a pair of new elementary schools.

They Voted For You: Water Bill Veto Override

The House voted late Tuesday to override President Bush's veto of the Water Resources Development Act with the help of West Virginia's delegation: Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd.

The override move attracted enough votes, prevailing 361-54.

The $23.2 billion water resources bill "addresses pressing infrastructure needs while offering hundreds of home district projects," The Associated Press reports. "The Senate, which approved the bill 81-12 in September, could cast its override vote as early as Wednesday."

By my count, the 251-page bill would provide at least $211.4 million to fund a dozen West Virginia projects to prevent and control flooding, develop water resources, and study both protecting watersheds and restoring aquatic ecosystems.

Fired Director Replaced at Archives - Updated

Cultural and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith today promoted Joe Geiger to acting Archives and History director, five days after firing Fred Armstrong as its longtime chief.

The Associated Press has the available details.

(The press release lists a name to contact for more information, so I did. Or, at least I tried: "Thank you for your message. I am out of the office begining Tuesday, November 6 returning on Monday, November 12. I will not have access to email until I return.")

Update: The Charleston Gazette also has a story, along with an editorial on Armstrong's firing and a slew of letters to the editor on the subject.

Quote of the Day

"I don't think it is fair for one kid to make a mistake and punish 40 other kids on the team."

-- Supreme Court Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard, explaining his dissent to the recent ruling that stripped Martinsburg High's football team of two wins because it had fielded an ineligible player. The Parkersburg News covered Maynard's speech to the local Rotary Club.

Annexation Ruling Hits a Nerve

County officials remain fired up over last month's Supreme Court ruling in a Charles Town annexation dispute, which affirmed that counties have no say when landowners voluntary petition for annexation.

"Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper says it's been years since he's seen county commissioners this upset over an issue," MetroNews reports. "Carper says county leaders are upset that some cities are making what some describe as land grabs."

MetroNews also offers audio of Carper's remarks.

As The Associated Press reported Monday, Delegate John Doyle, D-Jefferson, is among lawmakers who want to visit the issue during next year's session.

But municipal officials are urging the status quo. Charleston Mayor Danny Jones told AP that strong cities are key to growth in West Virginia.

"If Delegate Doyle is spoiling for a fight, we're poised and ready for battle," Jones said.

Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard explained the court's recent ruling to a Rotary Club crowd in Parkersburg.

"Maynard couldn't speak about the recent annexation ruling, citing a 30-day appeal; however, he repeated the court's majority opinion," The Parkersburg News reports.

"Maynard said the commission is not a court of appeal," the article said.

"If you want to do something different than that someone needs to get the Legislature to change the law," Maynard is quoted as saying. "(Municipalities)get to make the call... The county has to sign off. That is all they can do."

After The March

Saturday's rally and march in support of Megan Williams, and the verbal tumult that preceded it, has prompted a larger discussion over race relations in the largely white Mountain State.

Public Broadcasting focuses on the dialogue that emerged from the debate over whether certain individuals and groups, including Williams and her family, should take part in Saturday's events. With audio.

MetroNews also finds that the rally/march, and some of its organizers, "touched some nerves." It offers audio from Saturday as well.

Talkline Host Hoppy Kercheval, meanwhile, ponders possible opportunities for continuing the dialogue in his online column today.

Chipping Away At W. Va.'s Right To Know

West Virginia's Legislature has enacted nearly 100 exceptions to the state's Freedom of Information and Open Governmental Proceedings acts since crafting those laws in the mid-1970s, The Associated Press has found.

"From the results of regulatory probes to the location of endangered wild animals and rare plants, lawmakers have steadily added limits to the public’s right to know," AP reports.

AP ferreted out these added exemptions, mostly tucked away in various corners of the state code, as part of its long-running push for freedom of information, free press and media access (recently recognized by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press).

Lawmakers believe the additions address areas not meant for disclosure under FOIA or the open meetings laws. For at least some of these new limitations, public access advocates disagree.

AP follows up on that review by highlighting the only recourse Mountain State citizens have when their FOIA requests are denied: lawsuits.

(People and businesses, not the press, file the bulk of FOIA requests, according to the public agencies that receive them.)

AP contrasts West Virginia's situation with the different ways other states resolve FOIA disputes or impasses. Much of those findings come from research by Harry Hammitt of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government and published by the National Freedom of Information Coalition.

Advocates for open records and meetings laws include the aforementioned RCFP and NFOIC, the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, and the annual Sunshine Week.

W.Va. Archives Firing Reverberates

A spotlight remains on last week's abrupt, as-yet-unexplained firing of Fred Armstrong from his 22-year post as director of West Virginia's Archives office.

Phil Kabler questions Armstrong's sacking by Culture and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith in The Sunday Gazette-Mail.

"Clearly, this was a bald-faced pre-emptive strike to remove someone who might emerge as a voice of opposition as the Manchin administration moves forward with plans to convert the Cultural Center archives library into a café/catering service/mini-Tamarack gift shop," Kabler opines.

"Although it’s standard policy when a state employee is fired, the fact that Armstrong was escorted out of the Cultural Center with a security guard should be regarded as a slap in the face to all employees who have dedicated years of service to the state."

Kabler also offers, as his quote of the week, Armstrong's take on his former boss: "“He’s a washed-out opera singer who can’t administer unless it’s in a dictatorial way.”

Kabler lays blame for the axing at the feet of Gov. Joe Manchin. "Firing a state employee with just shy of 30 years of service to the state isn’t going to help Manchin’s already strained relationship with rank-and-file state employees," he writes.

"(F)or a usually image-savvy administration, why didn’t Manchin let Armstrong get his 30 years in, then send him off with a big retirement party and accolades?"

Gazette Editorial Page Editor Dawn Miller, meanwhile, chronicles Armstrong's tenure at Archives in a Sunday column. Armstrong rescued the official papers of U.S. Sen. Jennings Randolph, D-W.Va., from certain ruin, convinced regional television stations to send Archives their footage when it becomes too old to keep, ran a grant program to help counties preserve their archived records, and even repaired a falling ceiling in the agency's reading room when General Services proved unable to get to the task in time.

A revealing anecdote closes Miller's column: "On his last day on the job, Armstrong consoled the guard who apologetically showed him out, and gave his security escort a ride home."

Raese Keeping His Name in the Mix

John Raese gave a speech to the Marion County Republican Executive Committee last week that sounded awfully like a campaign stumper to The Times West Virginian of Fairmont.

Headlining the GOP group's annual fundraising dinner, the industrialist and media owner took swipes at the Democratic presidential field, the state's U.S. Senate delegation and the theory of climate change, the newspaper reported.

“There’s no scientific proof whatsoever that greenhouse emissions are caused by fossil fuels,” Raese said.

Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., meanwhile have failed to "defend the coal industry against environmentalists and proponents of global warming," Raese said.

The article notes that Raese lost to Byrd last year and that while he lost narrowly to Rockefeller in 1984, "he's considering running again" against Rockefeller in 2008, Raese told the crowd.

Toward the end, Raese touched on the poll he commissioned earlier this year, which found Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani leading their respective fields in West Virginia and Clinton taking the state in November.

And Raese touted Giuliani as the GOP's best hope, particularly in states with the most electoral votes.

“A lot of the things Rudy stands for I think play well in a lot of those states, plus he’s a national hero,” the newspaper quotes Raese as saying.

But Raese strayed from the Republican playbook on one key point: "He also bashed Forbes magazine for knocking the state’s business climate, recently ranking it 49th."

“My family has been doing business in West Virginia since 1905. A lot of people have done business and done very well in West Virginia,” Raese told the audience.

Shortly after the speech, Raese's wife hosted the inaugural meeting of a new political group she has founded. More than 100 joined Liz Raese in Morgantown for Saturday's launch of "Conservative Women of West Virginia."

Legislature 2008: Annexation

Come January, West Virginia's 55 counties plan to lobby lawmakers to at least tweak the 2001 law that has allowed municipalities to annex land whenever the property owners agree.

As The Associated Press reports, counties are crying foul whenever these voluntary petitions create "pipestem" or "shoestring" annexations, where only a road makes the land contiguous to the benefiting city or town.

Municipalities, however, consider the voluntary petition annexations a key contributor to population, tax base and even political influence, as the city of Ranson recently observed in a state Supreme Court brief.

Today's article follows up on an earlier AP report about October's Supreme Court ruling settling an annexation dispute between Jefferson County and Charles Town. The majority concluded that the county cannot block or otherwise interfere with voluntary petition annexations that adhere to the 2001 law.

These annexations, and the Supreme Court ruling, has spurred reactions elsewhere in the state.

The Charleston Daily Mail recorded dismay from Putnam County officials, while The Register-Herald heard from one Beckley-area legislator even before the Supreme Court reached its decision.

The Parkersburg News gauged both support from city official for the current law and discontent from Wood County officials.