They Voted For You: Power Lines

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

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

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

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

Tennant Launches Secretary of State Bid

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

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

In Report's Wake, Capito Discloses Earmarks

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

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

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

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

They Voted For You: Coal-to-Liquids

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

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

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

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

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

West Virginia Turns 144 - Updated

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

DeLong Outlines Bid For Secretary of State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Struggle For Earmark Transparency

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

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

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

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

The full listing of responses is here.

Gambling Remains The Hot Topic In W.Va.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yes, W.Va. Has a Libertarian Party

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

Si Galperin, 1932-2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Manchin Co-Signs China Letter

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

The Associated Press has the story.

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

Embedded W.Va. Reporters Return

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

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

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

Raleigh Delegate Continues Absence Streak

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

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

Background info can be found here, here and here.

Congressional Financial Disclosures

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

The highlights from the AP article:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drug Council Tinkers With Gift Disclosure Rules

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

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

West Virginia's Senior Senator

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LeRose Falls Short in Comeback Bid

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

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

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

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

Ross Eyeing '08 Senate Rematch

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

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

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