Maynard Drops from 3rd Case

Yet another Supreme Court case involving Massey Energy Co. will not be heard by Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard, after he recused himself from the third such matter Thursday.

"Maynard filed a one-paragraph notice Thursday, saying he was disqualifying himself from a case involving a coal silo Massey subsidiary Goals Coal wants to build near a Raleigh County elementary school," The Associated Press reports.

The Charleston Gazette notes that "the coal silo case marks the first time Maynard has recused himself before a party in a pending case has asked him to do so."

Both articles cite the now-infamous 2006 vacation photos showing Maynard in sunny Monaco with Massey chief executive Don Blankenship.

A Fifth Racetrack for West Virginia?

With three of West Virginia's four racetracks allowed to operate full-blown casinos, lawmakers from north central West Virginia want in on some of the action.

The Intelligencer of Wheeling reports on House Bill 4405, proposed by Harrison and Marion county lawmakers, to permit a "horse theme park and pari-mutuel racing facility."

The newspaper also reports that "developers have added a request for a video lottery license to their proposal."

“When they first came down here with this, I didn’t think there was any push for gambling,” House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, long part of Hancock County horse racing industry, told the newspaper. “Now that they are asking for gambling, I don’t see there being a lot of support in the Legislature."

Legislature 2008: Higher Ed

The Senate Education Committee has launched legislation that carves a patch for West Virginia's higher education system for the next dozen years.

Senate Bill 595 would "establish a system of standards, expectations and accountability measures that ensures a seamless learning process from the public school system through post-secondary education," the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reports.

Also focusing on the bill, The Journal of Martinsburg explains some of its benchmarks: "strategically raising the college-going rates of the counties sending the fewest students to higher education institutions; ensuring that 90 percent of ninth-graders graduate from high school; and using public higher education institutions to improve citizens’ employability and quality of life while increasing research, economic development and public service within the state."

Lawmakers Change Manchin's Good-Grades-To-Drive Bill

Chronic truancy, school-related crimes and disrupting the classroom would cost students their driver's licenses, under legislation amended and advanced by a House Education subcommittee.

But as The Register-Herald reports, "originally, the governor had proposed yanking operator’s cards from students who failed to maintain a 'C' average in school."

Opposed to that approach, the panel changed the bill so it "merely says a student must be 'making satisfactory progress' toward earning a high school diploma," the Beckley newspaper said.

W.Va. GOP Convention: Aftermath

West Virginia GOP officials tell The Associated Press that the hope to stage a presidential convention in 2012, excited by Tuesday's outcome.

"They've seen how widely heard, listened to and discussed their opinions were," Bob Fish, the convention's chief executive, told AP. "That's going to make it hard to take it away from them."

AP looks back on the state convention from several angles:

* Such attendees as Robert Rupp, political science professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College, give winner Mike Huckabee the nod for best speech. "Huckabee effectively uses words to connect," Rupp told AP. "He knew who his audience was."

* A Huckabee delegate told AP that Ron Paul supporters were indeed offered three of the 18 at-large seats won by Huckabee in exchange for their supports. Greg Smith said that Mitt Romney's camp had earlier offered Paul backers five seats, but the latter were turned off by "the nastiness, and the bitterness of the Romney people."

* "A majority of state delegates from 30 counties went for Huckabee, up from 18 during the first round. He did particularly well with those from Cabell, Raleigh and Wayne counties," the article said.

* As for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor "sported a majority in 29 counties during the first round, but lost four during the subsequent balloting. His strongest showings were among Kanawha, Marion, Ohio and Upshur county delegates."

The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, reports that the Charleston convention "confused a lot of registered West Virginia Republicans, who believed they were supposed to go to the polls to vote."

Session Shorts, Day 30

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: "A bill that would require pharmaceutical companies to disclose the cost of advertising and gifts to doctors as early as March passed a key hurdle Wednesday, with no sign of the battle it caused in previous years," The Associated Press reports.

TEACHER PENSIONS: House Speaker Rick Thompson tells MetroNews that the debate over teacher pensions ranks among the biggest of the session. Some are begging lawmakers to let them transfer ailing 401(k)-style retirement accounts into the traditional pension program for teachers. "The Manchin Administration is working on a proposal that would allow those switches to happen. No bill has been introduced at the State House at this point," MetroNews notes. With audio.

MTR: Retiring state Sen. Jon Blair Hunter, D-Monongalia, "introduced a bill Wednesday that would essentially outlaw mountaintop removal mining," Public Broadcasting reports. "Hunter is promising a public hearing."

SCHOOL BULLIES: The Register-Herald of Beckley looks at "a new Senate bill aimed at dealing with disruptive students who are costing schools valuable instruction time."

Session Hits Midpoint (corrected)

Legislators have introduced 1,676 bills heading into Day 30 of their regular session. The House has sent 31 of its measures to the Senate, while that chamber has replied in kind with 16 bills.

Corrected: One has passed both: House Bill 2517 would ensure that the state Board of Banking and Financial Institutions has "the authority to approve acquisitions of out-of-state banks by West Virginia state banks." The Senate sent the measure to the governor on Wednesday.

By this point last year, the House had passed 14 bills, the Senate 34 and six had been sent to the governor. The overall bill count was also 200 higher than this session's. More than 700 of the bills that failed to make it in 2007 were carried over to this year's session.

Effects of Maynard-Massey-Monaco Scandal Linger

The Herald-Dispatch examines West Virginia's process for selecting it judicial officers -- partisan elections -- as an issue during the ongoing legislative session.

"With two Supreme Court seats and a host of circuit judgeships up for election this year, the idea of nonpartisan judicial races is being revived," the Huntington newspaper reports. "Throw in a controversy involving the chief judge of the state's highest court, and the issue has become a focus of many state lawmakers."

Offering a breakdown of how the other states pick their judges, the Herald-Dispatch said the debate was renewed "when photos surfaced showing Massey Energy executive Don Blankenship and Supreme Court Justice Elliott 'Spike' Maynard together on the French Riviera during what the two said were separate vacations."

If further notes the Blankenship-related recusal requests made of Justice Brent Benjamin.

They Voted For You: Economic Stimulus

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., each voted to bring up for passage an amended version of the House's "Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008."

The vote failed 58-41, as it needed at least 60 votes to prevail. The Associated Press explains that "Senate Republicans blocked a bid by Democrats to add $44 billion in help for the elderly, disabled veterans, the unemployed and businesses."

"In a suspenseful showdown vote that capped days of partisan infighting and procedural jockeying, eight Republicans -- four of them up for re-election this year -- joined Democrats to back the plan, bucking GOP leaders and President Bush, who objected to the costly add-ons," AP reported.

The House passed its bill last month.

Quote of the Session

"Are you choking that chicken?"

-- House Judiciary Chairwoman Carrie Webster, D-Kanawha, responding to Delegate Jeff Eldridge on the House floor Wednesday. The Lincoln County Democrat had questioned whether a pending animal abuse bill would interfere with tethering fowl. Eldridge later helped pass the legislation.

The Allure of Table Games

While continuing to stress "that the numbers are preliminary," the Lottery Commission also continues to boast that casino table games have yielded soaring revenues at West Virginia's two Northern Panhandle tracks.

So reports The Charleston Gazette. Lottery officials believe that "actual gross receipts for table games at Mountaineer Racetrack and Casino and Wheeling Island Racetrack and Casino are twice as high as expected," the article said.

The rosy figures have some lawmakers estimating that the annual loses for Charles Town Races, which was denied table games by Jefferson County voters, is $50 million instead of $25 million, the Gazette reports.

The state's fourth track, in Kanawha County, was approved for table games after a special election marred by botched vote counts. The Associated Press reports that the Secretary of State has finished auditing that balloting.

"The audit found that while the county didn't break any laws, stricter procedures could have made August's special election go more smoothly," AP reports.

Those include mandatory poll worker training, the use of counting boards, and additional notices of precinct changes.

Session Shorts, Day 29

PROPERTY TAXES: The Journal of Martinsburg highlights legislation from area lawmakers that would "place a cap on how much property taxes can increase each year," and "place a three-year moratorium on all tax increases."

ATVs: The Legislature is revisiting the debate over regulating all-terrain vehicles. Perhaps mindful of the past failures of comprehensive measures, one Senate bill focuses on keeping ATVs off of paved roads, The Register-Herald reports.

BOTTLE BILL: Both the Beckley newspaper and MetroNews report on legislation that would require "a refundable deposit of 10 cents on beer, soft drink and other beverage containers." Lawmakers heard from John Ferrari, president of California recycler NexCycle, who touted his trade as "green" as well as profitable and jobs-creating.

Two Slogans Are Better Than One?

That's the thinking in the House of Delegates, which unanimously endorsed a resolution that embraces both "Almost Heaven" and "Wild and Wonderful" as official state mottoes.

If the Senate agrees, the pair "will replace Gov. Joe Manchin's 'Open for Business' as the state's official greeting when motorists enter the state," The Charleston Gazette (corrected attribution) reports.

As The Associated Press version of the story also notes, delegates did some editing with their measure. The motto "Wild, Wonderful" had won during last year's survey of state residents.

Manchin cited that vote to MetroNews. "It was statewide,” Manchin told them. “Over 60,000 people have been involved in this process and I would tend to honor that."

"It's estimated that it will cost $50,000 to replace the state's 107 welcome signs," the articles said.

W.Va. GOP Convention: Let's Make A Deal

As noted here earlier, Mike Huckabee's win at the West Virginia Republican Party Convention was marked by allegations from Mitt Romney's campaign of "slimy" maneuverings by the John McCain camp.

Now, the Ron Paul campaign has joined the mix.

WSAZ-TV is reporting that Paul campaign spokesman Ed Burgess alleges that:

"We struck a deal with the Huckabee people. They came to us and dealt with us honorably and with respect. And so we told them that if Dr. Paul didn't make it through the first round, that we would go for their man. They pledged us three delegates to the republican national convention."

Not so, Huckabee spokeswoman Alice Stewart in Little Rock told The Associated Press.

John Tate, Paul's national political director, told AP that Mike Ankrom helped broker the deal.

One of Huckabee's pledged delegates, Ankrom is also political director of the West Virginia Republican Club. Ankrom told AP that he's a Huckabee volunteer, and not authorized to speak for the national campaign. He also declined to comment on Tate's allegation.

State GOP Chairman Doug McKinney noted to AP the convention's winner-take-all format. And as each candidate had locked in their 18 proposed delegates in December, McKinney also said that "Huckabee would have to force three of his delegates to resign and replace them with Paul delegates."

The Paul campaign has posted a release on the three-delegate boast prominently on its web site. MetroNews is also reporting on the claim.

As for the Huckabee-McCain allegations, Romney campaign manager stoked those flames by stating:

"Unfortunately, this is what Sen. McCain's inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Gov. Romney's campaign of conservative change."

Huckabee responded that "there wasn't even a frontroom deal," reports AP, which added that McCain later said "It's a bit insulting to Gov. Huckabee, who won that, by alleging such a thing."

The convention envisioned up to three rounds of voting, with an hour in between for negotiations and "horse-trading," as planners put it, among the competing camps.

Huckabee Wins W.Va.

Defecting John McCain - and Ron Paul - voters proved key for Huckabee's win -- to the consternation of the Romney campaign.

The Associated Press has the story, and remains on the convention floor.

Update: Several top McCain supporters announced plans to bolster Huckabee's numbers immediately after the first balloting ended inconclusively. They continued urging their peers to follow suit during the one-hour lunch break. As delegates re-entered the convention hall, volunteers greeted them with signs telling McCain's bloc to back Huckabee.

AP reported on what ensued during the second round of voting:

As Huckabee's margin became clear, some Romney supporters angrily confronted McCain backers. One called McCain campaign adviser Gary Abernathy "slimy," and compared him with departed West Virginia University football coach Rich Rodriguez.

"Grow up," Abernathy replied.

Romney campaign manager Beth Myers later issued a statement blasting the McCain tactic. "Unfortunately, this is what Sen. McCain's inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Gov. Romney's campaign of conservative change," she said.

But McCain's West Virginia campaign chief, Larry Swann, noted to AP that unlike Huckabee, Romney had attacked his candidate in his convention speech.

"McCain voters may have been motivated to prevent Romney from getting momentum early in the day," AP reported.

Update II: Huckabee responds, telling AP "There was no backroom deal. There wasn't even a frontroom deal. There was no deal."

The convention attracted press from West Virginia and beyond, with the ranks swelling while the candidates were on hand. Coverage can be found at The Charleston Gazette, the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, MetroNews (with audio), and WSAZ-TV (with video) as well as The Politico and even The Wall Street Journal.

W.Va. GOP Convention: Round 1

With no majority winner, Paul is eliminated. The next round of balloting begins around 1:30 p.m.

The Associated Press has all the details, including color and quotes from the speeches by Paul, Romney and Huckabee.

W.Va. GOP Convention: A Preview

Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul have all told their supporters that they plan to attend West Virginia's Republican Party Convention.

As The Associated Press notes, convention planners scored a coup by convincing three of the four remaining GOP presidential candidates to start their super-busy Super Tuesday schedules in Charleston.

The convention also came close to its goal of attracting 1,446 delegates, with 1,207 certified by mid-Monday, More are possible before the event opens at 9 a.m.

Here's the latest breakdown:

Counties denotes those where the candidate has the largest share of delegates. Huckabee and Paul each have 50 percent of more of the delegates in three counties apiece. Romney enjoys such a margin in six counties.

But the the uncommitted delegates remain a huge wild card. So too are the 166 delegates that had pledged to exited candidates. Though his own delegate count is low, John McCain stands to pick up at least some of the supporters of both Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani, AP reports.

And the strong showing by McCain in most polls may explain why his opponents are increasing their push for the 18 national delegates at stake at West Virginia's convention.

McCain is sending former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer to speak on his behalf, and his campaign has planned an election night party in Charleston.

Among those with coverage, Public Broadcasting has been profiling the candidates and has segments on Huckabee, Romney and McCain.

MetroNews also previewed the convention, interviewing CEO Bob Fish.

WSAZ-TV is also providing extensive coverage that includes audio updates and live video. WOWK-TV offers a preview with video.

Legislature 2008: PROMISE

Lawmakers still aren't biting on Gov. Joe Manchin's proposal to require PROMISE scholars "to pay back at least some of their tuition if they take a job outside West Virginia upon graduation," The Associated Press reports.

AP education writer Shaya Tayefe Mohajer spoke to legislators, school officials and even students while checking on the bill's prospects at the Capitol.

"Manchin's proposal isn't exactly popular with legislators, or the state's PROMISE scholarship administrators who have seen a huge, yet immeasurable, cultural shift since the scholarship's implementation," she reports. "They say the PROMISE scholarship has helped more West Virginia high school students dream of -- and plan for -- a college education."

Tayefe Mohajer also notes that the House Education Committee voted Monday to advance a PROMISE-related rules bill -- ignoring the governor's legislation in the process.

Manchin earlier told AP that he was willing to be flexible regarding the details of a change to PROMISE, but urged lawmakers to continue the dialogue.

Lawmakers Asked to Expand CHIP

After a veto-marked battle on Capitol Hill over expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program, The Associated Press reports on efforts to get the ball rolling at the Legislature.

West Virginians for Affordable Health Care "wants to expand CHIP eligibility to children in families earning 250 percent of the federal poverty limit," AP health care writer Tom Breen explains. "A family of four making 250 percent of the federal poverty limit would earn roughly $50,000 a year."

"Currently, CHIP, which covers about 39,000 children, is offered to those making 220 percent of the poverty limit, or about $44,000 a year for a family of four," the article said.

But funding remains the key stumbling block, Breen writes, with officials telling him "the state is monitoring the situation in Washington, but is committed to remaining at 220 percent for now."

Thedford "Ted" Shanklin, 1941-2007

Ted Shanklin had been with the Legislature's Post Audits division since 1978, and was in charge of the watchdog agency when he retired in August.

He put up with a lot during his tenure, including shoddy record keeping by state programs and lame excuses from public officials.

He died over the weekend at age 66. The Gazette has an obituary. It reveals that Ted not only served seven years in the Army and one tour in Vietnam, "he was awarded the Silver Star for Gallantry, the Bronze Star with V for Valor and the Purple Heart."

Ted reached the rank of staff sergeant. He went to West Virginia State after his military service, "becoming the third ever African-American in West Virginia to become a CPA," the obit also said.

A memorial service will be held noon on Thursday, Feb. 7, at First Baptist Church of Charleston.

Bush Targets Byrd-named Program for Chopping Block

President Bush has zeroed out funding for the Byrd Honors Scholarship in his final proposed federal budget, eliciting howls of protest from the longest-serving senator in U.S. history.

Congress set up the program named for U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., "in 1986 for students who demonstrated academic achievement and who had been accepted to a college or university," The Associated Press explains.

Byrd denounced the proposed funding cut in a statement Monday.

The Politico observes that "It happens every year – the president highlights dozens of federal programs he deems useless and uses his budget to try to kill them. Quite often, Congress ignores the list."

Questioning such a personal dig, Politico also links to a table of all program's on this year's White House hit list (starting on page 7).

MetroNews Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval also notes Bush's gambit, while citing a Washington Post article that labels it “a symbolic shot at a fierce Bush critic.”

Romney, Huckabee to Attend W.Va. GOP Convention (UPDATE)

Mitt Romney's Mountain State campaign officials confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that the Republican presidential hopeful plans to appeal to delegates personally by appearing at the state GOP convention on Super Tuesday.

(UPDATE: Mike Huckabee is also coming, his campaign told AP.)

Ron Paul's in-state supporters earlier confirmed his decision to attend. "Front-runner John McCain is sending former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer to speak on his behalf," AP reports.

Legislature 2008: Area Codes

Lawmakers have started to weigh in on the Public Service Commission's 2-1 decision last week to give northern West Virginia a new area code.

A geographic split "isn't viewed as the most logical option, according to some House of Delegates members," the Charleston Daily Mail reports. "House Majority Whip Mike Caputo, D-Marion, prefers an overlay plan, which would leave all existing telephone numbers unchanged and assign the second area code for any new numbers in the state."

Delegate Craig Blair questioned the decision in a speech during Monday's House floor session. The Berkeley County Republican instead suggested assigning a new area code to cell phone numbers, as is already the practice elsewhere.

Session Roundup, Day 27 (Updated)

RETIREE TAX BREAK: West Virginia's retired teachers and state employees are lobbying lawmakers to increase their income tax exemption on retirement benefits from $2,000 to $20,000, MetroNews reports. "Retirees do not automatically receive a cost of living increase each year," its notes, adding that "Last year, a 3% increase was approved for retirees who had hit the age of 70."

TEACHER SHORTAGE: The Herald-Dispatch offers context to pending teacher pay raise and recruiting bonus proposals, by finding that "more than 10,000 out of 117,544 classes were taught by teachers without certification in that subject. That roughly equated to about one out of every dozen classes, or 8.5 percent." The Huntington newspaper also breaks it down by area high school and subject area.

KIDS DON'T FOLLOW: The Charleston Gazette reports that are high school students "disagree with Gov. Joe Manchin's plans for the merit-based Promise scholarship, but favor a move to keep classmates without a "C" grade point average off the roads."

LOCAL PENSIONS (update): Municipal officials continue to seek help from lawmakers with growing funding shortfalls in their police and file pension funds. The Charleston Daily Mail reports that city officials there remain perplexed: " In 2007, the unfunded liability for the city was $178 million for both funds. That was a sizeable increase from the $163 million total in 2006."

IDENTITY THEFT (update): AARP's West Virginia chapter surveyed its members and found that 90 percent support legislation "requiring companies to notify clients of security breaches on their personal information," the Daily Mail reports.

GOP Faces Tough Sledding in Legislative Races

A dearth of Republican candidates threatens to leave 45 legislative seats in the Democratic column before the first 2008 ballot is even cast, The Associated Press reports.

"By contrast, only nine GOP incumbents are assured re-election because they have no Democratic opponent in November," the article said.

The filings underscore the departure by Republicans of trying to field a candidate in every House and Senate District.

"A silver lining for Republicans may be that 10 Democrats in the House and four in the Senate aren't in the running to keep their seats," AP reports, while also noting that " Republicans failed to file in 6 of those races, two in the Senate and four in the House. "

Mitt Romney's W.Va. Connection

Mitt Romney recently invoked her in a televised argument with a reporter. Beth Myers, the Republican's national campaign manager and former gubernatorial chief-of-staff, traces her roots to parents born and raised in West Virginia.

Myers recently told The Associated Press about spending summers with her mother's family in Roane County until she was about 15.

"We'd hang out by the (Spencer city) pool, and go to the Robey Theatre and watch movies," Myers said. "It doesn't get any better than that."

West Virginians Most Generous to Clinton, Paul

Ron Paul is coming to West Virginia for its state GOP convention, in the wake of Federal Election Commission reports that show he outraised the other Republican presidential candidates in the Mountain State during the last three months of 2007:


Democrat Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, continues to dominate the overall campaign contribution picture in West Virginia.

The Associated Press has details. "Belying their front-runner status, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney netted only $600 from the state for the quarter, while Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., collected $8,715," the article said.

AP also notes that "Only North Dakotans gave less than their Mountain State counterparts during the quarter, according to the FEC filings. "

Mon County Rejects User Fee

With turnout at about 27 percent, Monongalia County voters clobbered a proposed $2-a-week user fee by 2,542 to 11,048, MetroNews reports.

"None of the 72 precincts in the county approved of the fee," which "would have paid for 18 road improvement projects in the county," the article said.

Paul Coming to W.Va.; McCain sending Roemer

Ron Paul is the first, and as yet only candidate who has committed to attending Tuesday's state Republican Party Convention for the 2008 presidential election.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has meanwhile announced that former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer will appear in West Virginia in his stead. Besides attending the convention, Roemer will also headline a delegate meet-and-greet Monday evening.

Update: Mitt Romney told MetroNews' Talkline on Friday that "representatives from his campaign will be on hand for the voting at the Charleston Civic Center." MetroNews has posted audio of the on-air interview.

Update II: The Intelligencer of Wheeling notes that "Fewer than 1 percent of West Virginia’s Republicans cast votes to nominate delegates to Tuesday’s state GOP convention," and fields both complaints and praise about the process.

Update III: Romney has also issued a videotaped message to West Virginia convention delegates.

Manchin Gives National Dem Address

Gov. Joe Manchin was the Democrat behind the mike Saturday to give the party's weekly national address, The Associated Press reports.

"It's time we establish fiscal discipline so our children and grandchildren don't have to pay for the recklessness of unbalanced budgets," Manchin said. "And I believe that it's going to take a Democratic president to balance the budget, pay down the debt and help struggling middle-class families achieve the American dream."

Capito & Bush

Covering her Thursday speech to the Martinsburg Rotary Club, the Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Md., included this in its article:

While answering questions from Rotarians, Capito appeared to put some distance between herself and President Bush.

"I think he's had a difficult hand dealt to him," said Capito, adding that history would judge whether the president's decisions on Iraq were right.

"If I had any criticism of the president, ... I think it's the perception - real or otherwise - that he's too stubborn," Capito said.

Capito also noted that she didn't think the president was the best communicator of his policies or initiatives.

When asked about the departure of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Capito said Bush's former Cabinet member should have left earlier and probably would be an Achilles' heel for the president's legacy.

One of Capito's would-be Democratic opponents, Anne Barth, was also in the Eastern Panhandle this week. A former longtime aide to U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., Barth held campaign events in Shepherdstown and Martinsburg, The Journal reports.

Session Shorts, Day 24

ZONING: Eastern Panhandle lawmakers report pushback from officials back home regarding a bill "aiming to change the requirements for enacting and amending zoning ordinances in West Virginia," The Journal of Martinsburg said.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: The Charleston Gazette talks to legislators who continue to struggle over "a new law that will require pharmaceutical companies to disclose - in broad terms - what they spend on consumer advertising and on marketing to physicians."

CHILD CUSTODY: Public Broadcasting has a story and audio from a public hearing on pending bills championed by West Virginia's fathers' rights movement.

GHENT DISASTER: "One year after a propane explosion ripped through a convenience store in Ghent, killing four people, industry reform measures are moving through the Legislature," The Register-Herald reports.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: The Beckley newspaper also reports on dueling, Republican-Democrat views on West Virginia's economy and the road ahead at a legislative breakfest session.

Barth Adopts "11th-Hour Power" Slogan

Anne Barth has embraced her late entry in the 2nd District congressional race, as evidenced by the slogan at Thursday's state Capitol rally.

The Associated Press, The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews (with audio) were among those covering the campaign kickoff.

AP also touches on possible issues in the race: "In 2004, she was one of three statewide coordinators for John Kerry's presidential campaign. That year, she also was one of the founders of DREMA Dems, a group billing itself as a vehicle to help elect liberal women to public office."

Update: Barth hopes to challenge U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, who spent part of Thursday talking about Iraq and pending economic stimulus legislation to Eastern Panhandle voters, The Journal of Martinsburg reports.

Flying West Virginia's Slightly Less Taxed Skies

A Senate committee has endorsed and advanced Gov. Joe Manchin's proposal to "give a tax break to owners of aircraft parked or used in West Virginia," the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

As the newspaper explains, "Manchin's bill would tax airplanes and helicopters owned or leased by commercial airlines, charter carriers and private carriers - including companies that operate aircraft to transport employees or others for business purposes - at salvage value, which is 5 percent of the aircraft's original cost."

The Senate Economic Development Committee acted after officials estimated the $2.3 million in annual lost tax revenues would be offset by resulting growth.

Richard Wachtel, chairman of the West Virginia Aeronautics Commission, "said that by reducing the property tax on corporate jets stored in the state, West Virginia could attract more aircraft and, in turn, more related jobs, including pilots, mechanics, dispatchers and line service personnel," the Daily Mail reported. "Also, the state's airports could build and lease more hangars, counties and municipalities that own airports would receive more fees from the sale of jet fuel and the state would receive more sales tax revenue from the sale of jet fuel and aircraft services, he said."

The Associated Press also has a version of the story. The Charleston Gazette reports that officials in Kanawha County, home to the state's largest airport, support the bill.

MonacoGate Spurs Legislation

A proposed constitutional amendment, to be precise.

The bipartisan resolution introduced Thursday would create a "Judicial Recusal Commission," a three-member panel that "would decide whether a justice or family court or circuit judge should be disqualified from a case."

The Associated Press has the details, and talked to some of its sponsors.

As AP notes, "The measure follows Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard's withdrawal from two pending cases involving Massey Energy Co. He disqualified himself amid allegations regarding his longtime friendship with company President, Chairman and Chief Executive Don Blankenship."

The European vacation photos highlighting that friendship continue to make a splash. Massey and Blankenship have also weathered other news this week, besides the nationally televised book tour comments by John Grisham about his latest legal thriller:

• "The National Labor Relations Board wants a federal court to force Massey Energy Co. to rehire 85 United Mine Workers members and negotiate a new union contract at a coal mine it bought out of bankruptcy in 2004," AP reports. The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews also have the story.

• AP also reports that Massey's "fourth-quarter profit fell 36 percent to $5.1 million as it launched expansion projects to capitalize on favorable market conditions."

Dust Still Not Settled from 2008 Election Filings

• The other Democrats seeking to challenge U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, tell the Charleston Daily Mail that Anne Barth is no shoo-in, despite a flurry of endorsements from party bigwigs.

• An incumbent legislator is among the casualties who failed to file completed paperwork before last week's deadline. As The Associated Press reports, Delegate Cliff Moore, D-McDowell, finds himself off the primary ballot because his certificate of candidate was not notarized. "Moore said he's asked a lawyer to research his options," AP reports. "But he also said the mistake was his, and that he's not going to press the issue if it means making McDowell County look bad."

• He was barely in to begin with: Huntington hotel manager Phil Cline mailed in his filing to challenge U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. The Republican's filing beat the deadline, but now he's withdrawn. The Herald-Dispatch has the details.

• The Huntington newspaper also reports that former mayor and Cabell lawmaker Bobby Nelson is among the last-minute filers, taking a stab at a House of Delegates seat.

Legislature 2008: Hunting

Whether caused by the graying nature of its population, or the blight on society known as Guitar Hero, the ranks of licensed hunters in West Virginia have dropped by 17 percent over the last decade.

The Associated Press reports on one lawmaker's proposal to tackle the situation: mandating firearm safety programs in public schools.

"Seventh- through ninth-graders could opt for instruction in topics ranging from survival skills to gun safety, but the weapons would have dummy ammunition or be disabled," AP's Tom Breen explains. "Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey, who introduced the bill this month, doesn't envision students firing real guns during class time."

Breen also reports that the issue is a financial one as well: "This month, Gov. Joe Manchin proposed spending $1.8 million on DNR's law enforcement efforts to make up for revenue lost because of the decline of hunting and fishing permits."

Breen's article, also found here, observes as well that "West Virginia, where roughly 320,000 people participated in the recent two-week gun season for bucks, may be the only state contemplating such a bill, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures."

They Voted For You: Economic Stimulus

Supporters of the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008 included all three of West Virginia's U.S. House members.

Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for the proposal "to provide economic stimulus through recovery rebates to individuals, incentives for business investment, and an increase in conforming and FHA loan limits."

It prevailed 385-35.

But as The Associated Press reports, "the Senate is set to begin voting on dueling economic aid proposals, as senators rush to add jobless benefits and tax rebates for high earners, the elderly, and disabled veterans" to the House-passed measure.

The article also explains that the bill "would send rebates of $500-$1,000 to all but the richest taxpayers. Families also would get $300 for each child. Senators could begin voting as early as Thursday in hopes of completing the package by week's end."

The Edwards and Giuliani Factors in W.Va.

Republican Rudy Giuliani was counting on 41 delegates to the state GOP convention before dropping out of the race. Just eight of his 63 supporters who signed up for at-large seats won in the recent voting.

Giuliani had also visited West Virginia twice in 2007, more than any candidate except fellow Republican Mitt Romney. But his efforts in the Mountain State suffered a blow with the death of his point man here, Robert Gould.

As of Sept. 30, Giuliani had raised more than $113,000 in West Virginia, more than any other candidate save Democrat Hillary Clinton, from more than 90 donors.

John Edwards, meanwhile, had raised $92,000 from 169 West Virginians as of Sept. 30 (more recent reports should be posted within the next week).

Ending his presidential bid Wednesday, Edwards had also visited West Virginia in 2007. His wife headlined a fundraiser as well - though by phone, after having scheduled an in-person appearance.

John Grisham, Don Blankenship and West Virginia

There had been talk of uncanny parallels between West Virginia 2004 state Supreme Court race and The Appeal, the latest legal thriller from John Grisham.

Promoting the release of his new book, the "best-selling novelist of the 1990s" ended such speculation Tuesday, on NBC's Today show.

From the web site for the top-rated morning program:

The story plays out with a chemical company found guilty of dumping toxic waste and liable for the deaths of scores of people in a fictional Mississippi town. The owner of the company tries to get out of paying a $41 million settlement by spending millions to help elect a justice to the Mississippi Supreme Court that will swing the appeal the other way.

When (Matt) Lauer asked if such a story was far-fetched, Grisham said, “It’s already happened.”

“It happened a few years ago in West Virginia. A guy owned a coal company. He got tired of getting sued. He elected his guy to the Supreme Court. It switched 5-4 back his way and he didn’t worry about getting sued.”

Today also offers video of the interview.

It's unclear whether the recent release of Monaco vacation photos will prove sufficiently well-timed to influence sales. But Grisham's remark coincides with a revisiting of the 2004 election that has Justice Brent Benjamin fielding requests for his recusal in at least one Massey case.

As The Associate Press and others have previously reported, Blankenship has estimated spending $3.5 million on a wide-ranging independent political campaign that supported Benjamin's candidacy while attacking his opponent, incumbent Justice Warren McGraw.

Addressing the topic of judicial selection, the AP's Tom Breen includes Grisham's TV comments. His story also observes that Benjamin "has also ruled against Massey in at least three cases since joining the court, records show. Those included two challenges to West Virginia's severance tax that together involved more than $505 million owed by Massey and other coal operators."

The article notes as well that "Benjamin helped form the 3-2 majority that reversed a $76.3 million judgment won by Harman against Massey," but "then voted last week to vacate that November decision and rehear the appeal."

Grisham's publisher paints the apparently-Benjamin-inspired character as "a young, unsuspecting candidate" recruited by the villainous company owner ("Carl Trudeau") and "his political operatives." Through "an intricate web of conspiracy and deceit," they "finance him, manipulate him, market him, and mold him into a potential Supreme Court justice. Their Supreme Court justice," the publisher's blurb reads.

The Charleston Gazette and Public Broadcasting each has a story focusing on Grisham's novel and its apparent inspiration.

Session Shorts, Day 22

PROMISE: "Still seeking to keep PROMISE scholars in West Virginia once they graduate," Gov. Joe Manchin tells The Associated Press that "the merit-based program could grant case-by-case exceptions for those unable to land Mountain State jobs in their degree areas."

ARCHIVES & FOOD: The Charleston Gazette accompanied lawmakers on a tour of the Cultural Center, where officials "insist that plans for a café/gift shop in the Culture Center are still in the preliminary stages." The House Government Organization Committee is set to consider a bill that "not only would ban the sale of food or drink in the building, but would prohibit merging the archives library with the Library Commission lending library on the other side of the Cultural Center."

JAIL COSTS: The Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced a bill that would halve daily jail fees for counties whenever their inmates stay locked up for less than 12 hours. But as The Register-Herald reports, "sentiment ran high against it and a leading corrections official dubbed it as worthless."

OIL & GAS: The Beckley newspaper also profiles legislation offering a "Surface Owner’s Bill of Rights," which addresses disputes with oil and natural gas drillers.

MonacoGate Prompts Another Maynard Recusal

Without comment, Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard withdrew from another case involving Massey Energy Co. on Tuesday, after lawyers for the other side invoked his Riviera rendezvous with Don Blankenship.

As The Associated Press reports, "Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. sought to disqualify Maynard as it prepares to defend a $240 million judgment it has won against Massey."

Maynard's Monaco met up with Blankenship, Massey's chief executive, one year before a Brooke County jury agreed that the coal producer "and one of its subsidiaries breached a supply contract, by diverting the promised coal to the spot market to take advantage of higher prices," the article said.

Wheeling-Pitt and its co-plaintiff cite other signs of the social ties between the two men, including their admissions upon the photos' release, and contend Maynard had not been sufficiently forthcoming.

"Reasonable people must question Justice Maynard's ability to fairly consider this matter which involves a very substantial judgment against Massey," the Tuesday filing is quoted as saying.

The Charleston Gazette also has a story. In a separate article, the Gazette also has Maynard's comments regarding his recent release of a credit card record stemming from the Monaco meet-up. From that article:

"I hope that the public will look at the receipts and know I paid my own way," he said Tuesday, after a budget presentation to the House Finance Committee. "I hope that's the end of it, but if it's not, we'll deal with it as it comes."

MetroNews also has a story, and audio, from his Tuesday comments.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Nor, sometimes, does grandstanding, depending on how you look at it.

The Politico chides Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, for sponsoring a successful resolution "Commending the West Virginia University Mountaineer football team for exemplifying the pride, determination, and spirit of the Mountain State and overcoming adversity with skill, commitment, and teamwork to win the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl."

The Politico offers Virginia Tech as a stronger candidate for the adversity-beating mantle:

Virginia Tech came back and almost won the national championship this season. West Virginia, meanwhile, choked horribly in a Dec. 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers. which cost the Mountaineers a chance to play for a national championship. Not good.

So if WVU, which is a great school with a great football program, deserves a resolution honoring it's bowl victory, let the House also pass resolutions honoring the other 30 bowl champions. Fair is fair.

MetroNews also noted the resolution, whose 34 co-sponsors include Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd.

Dirty Tricks in West Virginia

West Virginia's 1996 race for governor earns a mention in How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative, a new tell-all by Allen Raymond.

A Washington Post article on the book and its author recounts this from Raymond's days as the Republican National Committee's director for the Mid-Atlantic region:

Among the victims was Charlotte Pritt, a Democrat running for governor of West Virginia in 1996. In the state legislature, Pritt had supported a bill to teach sex education in middle schools. Raymond turned those "innocent facts," he writes, into a 30-second ad that screamed: "Charlotte Pritt proposed teaching first-graders about condoms!"

The lie worked: Pritt lost to Raymond's candidate.

The Charleston Gazette picked up the tidbit for a Tuesday editorial.

Session Shorts, Day 21: Updated

FLUNKING AND DRIVING: "High school drivers aren't welcoming the prospect that the state, not their parents, could soon revoke their driving privileges if they get bad grades," the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reports.

DRIVING (update): As for adult drivers who have lost their licenses, the Charleston Daily Mail reports on House and Senate bills that would allow them "to petition a judge for permission to get behind the wheel."

VICTIMS' RIGHTS: The movement to keep victims in the loop about the proceedings against criminal defendants has a champion in Delegate Gerald Crosier, D-Monroe and that county's former sheriff. So reports The Register-Herald of Beckley, citing a bill he's co-sponsored on the topic.

SUGAR-FREE SCHOOLS: Both The Associated Press and The Charleston Gazette report on Monday's decision by lawmakers to return oversight of beverage machines in public schools to the state Department of Education.

Election 2008 Shorts: Updated

• Since state Sen. John Unger abandoned his congressional bid abruptly Saturday, "attorneys are trying to determine what should be done with campaign funds raised" by the Berkeley County Democrat, The Journal of Martinsburg reports.

• Unger explains to The Charleston Gazette that "the idea of raising money all the time to be elected to Congress would leave him politically beholden to special interests," and that "his short foray into the 2nd Congressional District race opened his eyes enough to believe the system has to change."

• (Update) The Charleston Daily Mail talks to pundits and party officials in the wake of Barth's entry. One national observer still considers Capito the "substantial favorite," the article said, while Congressional Quarterly "changed its rating of the race to 'Republican Favored,' which is a slightly less competitive rating than the 'Leans Republican' classification it had been given with Unger running."

• The Gazette also reports that the 79-year-old mayor of Clendenin is the sole Republican filed to keep the opening seat in the 8th Senate district in the GOP column. Bob Ore joins a race that features multi-term Delegate Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, in the Democratic field.

• Gov. Joe Manchin has appointed press aide Sarah Payne Scarbro as his 2008 re-election campaign's coordinator, the Herald-Dispatch. Scarbro is "taking an unpaid leave of absence to work the campaign," while "an official opening date of Manchin's 2008 campaign headquarters as well as an open house will be announced in the coming days," the Huntington newspaper reports.

• (Update): Mailed-in candidacy filings postmarked in time include one from Huntington Republican Phil Cline, who wants to take on U.S. Sen Jay Rockefeller. General manager of the Pullman Plaza Hotel, Cline told the Herald-Dispatch that while he considers the four-term Democrat a friend (and has even raised money for him), "I got to praying about what he's done recently in the Senate and I felt he should not get a free pass to become senator without an election."

Legislature 2008: Taxes

State senators are taking aim at West Virginia's much-derided business franchise tax this session, building on legislation passed last year that is gradually whittling it down.

As Public Broadcasting, The Register-Herald and MetroNews report, a bill introduced Monday would kill off the tax in 2012.

"Existing law provides a gradual reduction of the tax until 2012, when it reaches the rate of .21 percent, and remains at that number," the Beckley newspaper explained. "The newest bill, however, would erase the final increment."

The tax is based on a business' net equity, which includes stock value and retained earnings. MetroNews also has audio.

Taxes are also the topic of today's column from MetroNews Talkline Host Hoppy Kercheval. The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, reports that "there's a new line on state income tax forms this year, for reporting taxes due on Internet purchases. But there isn't a new fervor on the state's part to crack down on such collections."

WVU Reaches Outside State for DaughterGate Probe

Educators from New York, Missouri and Pennsylvania will help West Virginia University "investigate allegations that Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter was granted a master's degree she didn't earn," The Associated Press reports.

Arthur Centonze of Pace University, Lori Franz of the University of Missouri and John Burkoff of Pitt will join the panel assigned to "assess the validity of an executive master's of business administration awarded to Heather Bresch," AP's Vicki Smith writes.

Others with the story include WVU's own Daily Athenaeum and MetroNews, which offers audio of the Faculty Senate chairman as well as a timeline for the ongoing story.

Spike & Don: We Went Dutch to Monaco

The Associated Press reports that "Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott 'Spike'' Maynard's re-election campaign has offered a credit card record to counter questions raised about his 2006 Monaco meet-up with Massey Energy Co. President, Chairman and Chief Executive Don Blankenship."

Maynard had promised to produce "receipts and records" when he stated "I paid my own way" in the wake of the Monaco photos' release.

The document shown to AP "indicates Maynard bought a pair of $2,077 plane tickets six days before the July 2 (2006) departure date, and a $1,393 travel package from Expedia.com two days later," the article said. "The campaign said the latter covered Maynard's hotel expenses."

The article also quotes yet another legal scholar critical of the socializing revealed by the photos. Georgetown University law professor Roy Schotland "said Maynard showed 'zero judgment,'" adding "I'm floored. That's why I go to the word judgment. You don't do that.''

Blankenship is on the board of directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the publication it bankrolls in West Virginia has its own view.

Election 2008: Candidate Filing Tidbits

• The Associated Press has a run-down of the (non-presidential) federal and statewide candidates who filed by Saturday's midnight deadline, as well as an overview of legislative races.

• The Journal of Martinsburg talked to Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley, after his abandoned his effort to challenge U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd. Seeking a fifth term, Capitol spent part of the weekend raising funds in Greenbrier County, The Register-Herald reports.

• The Beckley newspaper also spoke to Delegate Mel Kessler, D-Raleigh, who insists he's not getting wobbly after filing to oppose Gov. Joe Manchin in their party's primary.

• Delegate Locke Wysong joined the ranks of House incumbents (all or mostly Democrats at last count) opting against re-election. The Journal reports on his decision, and on the two candidate vying to take his place.

• The Intelligencer of Wheeling reviews local as well as statewide candidate filings, as does the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington.
  

• The Dominion Post of Morgantown (subscription required) reports that ex-lawmaker turned-lobbyist-turned-columnist Cindy Frich has filed for the House seat she lost in the 2006 election.

• WVHotline has been updating its roster of all House and Senate candidates.

• (Update) MetroNews talks to folks from both parties about the filing highlights (w/audio).
  

DaughterGate Update

• The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which broke the story raising questions about Heather Bresch's EMBA, contends that West Virginia University officials aren't keeping their stories straight.

• Both The Associated Press and MetroNews are among those reporting on the pending decision from WVU’s Faculty Senate "to select three new panelists" to the team investigating the degree "who have no association with the school or the state government."

MonacoGate Highlights W.Va. Recusal Rule

The demand has not ended for justices to recuse themselves from a pending Supreme Court case involving Massey Energy Co., following the withdrawal of Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard.

But as The Associated Press reports, the rule governing recusal requests remains unchanged: the justice under fire gets the final say.

"It is the individual justice's decision," Caprice Roberts, a law professor at West Virginia University, told AP. "There's an incredible amount of discretion."

The article also examines Massey's lawsuit challenging the recusal rule, filed just after the Monaco meet-up between Maynard and its boss, Don Blankenship.

The saga has prompted editorials in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington and the Parkersburg News, among others.

The Supreme Court has set a March 12 rehearing for the $76.3 million judgment against Massey at issue in the case. The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile, reports that another, much large judgment against Massey is headed to the Supreme Court.

The Maynard-Massey matter continues to attract press attention beyond the state's borders, with this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Update: The Charleston Daily Mail calls for Starcher's recusal in an editorial. Starcher had asked for more time last week to consider stepping down, according to the rehearing order. Lawyers for Harman Mining Co. and Hugh Caperton also want to see his withdrawal -- but only if Justice Brent Benjamin goes as well, their statement last week said (both documents posted by Public Broadcasting).

Legislature 2008: Teacher Pensions

The Associated Press spoke to West Virginia school teachers who say they can't retire because of insufficient benefits in their 401(k)-style accounts.

"State officials estimate that the average such account contains less than $34,000," AP reports. "For the 1,100 account holders age 60 or older, only 23 have more than $100,000. The largest of those has $157,000."

Lawmakers had proposed merging such accounts into the larger, traditional pension program for teachers. But any such merger must be voluntary, after a mandatory plan was derailed by satisfied account holders who sued the state.

Lawmakers expect a bill from Gov. Joe Manchin, perhaps as early as this week, that would embrace a voluntary merger plan. Administration officials say they're still working on the tricky details.

"After devoting more than $1.4 billion toward pension debts over the last several years, Manchin and lawmakers want to avoid reversing gains made on the funding gap," AP reports. "The 'right' enrollees must also be willing to merge: the cost to the pension program will depend on the age and years of service of those who switch over. "

MetroNews also spoke to educators about their pension woes.

Barth In, Unger Out as 2008 Filing Deadline Passes

A non-starter, and the 11th-hour (literally) filing it prompted, marked the final day for candidates to file for offices on the 2008 ballot.

As The Associated Press reports, Anne Barth, longtime aide to U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, entered the Democratic race to challenge U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd.

She filed after state Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley, announced he would not enter the fray.

As AP notes, Unger "had already raised at least $150,000 and lined up support from the state’s two U.S. House Democrats and some of their congressional colleagues."

This backing included special attention from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. And besides launching a congressional campaign web site, Unger had also picked up an AFL-CIO endorsement.

But most conspicuous, and controversial, was the on-stage endorsement from Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, during last year's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

AP also has a rundown of some of the other contested races at the top of the ballot.

In addition to its array of helpful links and newsfeeds, WVHotline has been compiling comprehensive rosters of all House of Delegates and state Senate candidacy filings. All 100 House seats are up this year, as are half the seats in the 34-member Senate.

Bush in West Virginia

(White House photo)

President Bush used his latest visit to West Virginia to urge Congress "to quickly pass an economic stimulus package void of extraneous spending, saying only quick action will kickstart the sputtering economy," The Associated Press reports.

Bush spoke at the latest Republican congressional retreat hosted by The Greenbrier. Correcting an earlier post, Friday marked at least the 22nd trip to the Mountain State by the president and his fourth to the posh resort.

Previous Greenbrier stops were also to headline GOP congressional retreats, including in 2003 and 2005.

Local coverage includes a story by The Register-Herald of Beckley as well as video from WVNS-TV and audio from MetroNews.

Short Takes from the Session: Day 17

REPTILES & FOSSILS (Insert punchline here): The roster of bills afoot this session include measures to name an official reptile and fossil for West Virginia. The Associated Press' Tom Breen has the story, which delves into the history of declaring state symbols. The Register-Herald of Beckley focuses on the reptile bill.

DISABILITIES: More than 100 West Virginians rallied at the Capitol this week. "Their message for lawmakers: eliminate the long waiting lists to get help from state programs, and help people with disabilities stay in their own homes," Public Broadcasting reports. Those at the rally also honored advocate Ken Ervin, who died last year. The Charleston Gazette also has a story.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION: Some lawmakers continue to push for some sort of oversight as the insurance system becomes fully privatized, The Times-West Virginian of Fairmont reports.

PRISONS: As the Legislature debates ways to tackle rising corrections costs, Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick tells MetroNews "the state needs to consider building one or two new state prisons." With audio.

Legislature 2008: Teachers

The Associated Press' Shaya Tayefe Mohajer examines the back-and-forth between Gov. Joe Manchin and teachers' groups over whether his legislative proposals reflect 5.5 percent worth of pay raises.

"Teachers unions say the governor is using fuzzy math in his proposal for teacher salary raises -- and school employees will be shortchanged as a result," the article said, while "Manchin says that in his tenure, he's done right by teachers, pouring millions of dollars into salary increases and working to solve the teacher retirement crisis he inherited."

And Now There Are Three

Two days after Gov. Joe Manchin filed for re-election with much fanfare, opponents lined up against him for the Democratic primary and as the potential GOP nominee, The Associated Press reports.

"Republican Russ Weeks said he decided to run to give voters a choice, and because they 'must hear the truth about state government,'" the AP article said. "Delegate Mel Kessler (D-Raleigh), meanwhile, said he's been spurred on by what he called the governor's heavy-handed dealings with the Legislature and such key constituent groups as seniors and teachers."

Each expressed dissatisfaction with Manchin's performance. Kessler told AP that "I think we need a governor who realizes there are three branches of government... I’m running on the premise that the guy’s beat himself.’’

Weeks was also critical of much of the rest of the state's administration.

‘‘There are a lot of people in government today that I hope are scared,’’ AP quoted him as saying. ‘‘They know that I know where the skeletons are buried.’’

Manchin's reaction? "As always, he focuses on running for the office, not against any other candidate," spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg told AP.

The Register-Herald is on top of the story, with the Beckley newspaper offering separate articles on Weeks' and Kessler's candidacies. MetroNews also offers separates of Weeks and Kessler (with audio of Weeks). The Charleston Gazette also has coverage, as does WSAZ (with video of Kessler) and WVNS-TV (with video).