What's in a Slogan?

State senators continue to spar along party lines over the "Open for Business" slogan added to highway welcome signs by Gov. Joe Manchin.

The Charleston Gazette reports that a pending resolution that had championed the old mainstay "Wild, Wonderful" was replaced Wednesday with a measure commissioning an online poll.

Online polls are also known as voodoo polls. The Gazette's Tom Searls notes that Manchin has "commissioned" an online poll before, regarding the Capitol dome.

The Charleston Daily Mail has beaten Manchin to the punch, and is already offering a poll on the question.

Still no home for vet statue

Visitors to the West Virginia Capitol Complex appear quite fond of its Veterans' Memorial, with its rosters of the state's war dead etched solemnly in smooth black stone.

Equally popular are the memorial's four bronze statues, each representing a different branch of the military as well as a major conflict of the 20th Century.

Artist Joe Mullins sculpted those larger-than-lifesize figures, with a remarkable eye for detail: there's the gear carried by the World War I "doughboy," for instance, or the flight suit of the Korean War U.S. Air Force fighter pilot.

With similar care, Mullins has carved a fifth statue, to represent West Virginia's female veterans. But the statue remains in a sort of limbo. The apparent reason: the figure is wearing pants instead of a skirt, and some female veterans object.

Public Broadcasting's Scott Finn has a story on the impasse today. The link includes audio from his report, and a link to more info about Mullins and the memorial.

The Legislature, Day 28

Half the session will be over tomorrow, and here are some recent highlights:

* MINE SAFETY. The Associated Press tracks Gov. Joe Manchin's mine safety bill as it advances from the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews also have stories.

* DRUGS. The Charleston Daily Mail focuses on a bill targeting products that help people mask drug use when tested. Supporters consider it a workplace safety measure.

* TABLE GAMES. The Daily Mail also examines a provision of the racetrack table games bill that would allow the tracks to serve alcohol at all hours, if and when they become full-blown casinos. The AP earlier covered this week's anti-gambling rally at the Capitol, and the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, MetroNews and the Gazette also have stories.

No-show delegate asks for more time, again

MIA Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, apparently faxed a letter to the House speaker this morning, asking to be given until March 1 (when the 60-day session hits Day 51) to return to the Legislature.

The speaker and the rest of the House Rules Committee instead invited Thompson to their Thursday morning meeting, before the full House is expected to take up the resolution that would declare his seat vacant.

UPDATE: Here's a more detailed story, and I plan to have a Thursday article providing some historical and national context.

Quote of the Day

"I still hope he comes and serves."

-- House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, after launching a resolution that would oust no-show Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh and no relation, from the Legislature. The House is not expected to take up the resolution until Thursday.

The Legislature, Day 28 - Updated

Amid the buzz surrounding MIA Delegate Ron Thompson, the 2007 legislative session continues.

The Associated Press covered today's rally against the pending racetrack table games bill. About 50 people showed up for the event, compared to the hundreds who gathered last week in support of the measure. The respective turnouts may not indicate the bill's fate, however. MetroNews also has a story, with audio.

Both AP and the Charleston Daily Mail examine efforts targeting the hiring of illegal workers.

And the AP and The Charleston Gazette each relays a request from the State Police for help with protecting children from sexual predators prowling the Internet.

(Anybody else see a pattern here...?)

UPDATE: The AP's Tom Breen explores Gov. Joe Manchin's $4.5 million plan to expand the ranks of public defenders, as a cheaper alternative to private lawyers appointed by the courts to represent the poor in criminal cases.

Missing in Action III

The leaders of the House of Delegates who make up its Rules Committee took the action alluded to earlier and today endorsed a resolution to declare as vacant the seat of no-show Delegate Ron Thompson.

The resolution will be introduced on the House floor tomorrow, with a vote by members as early as Thursday.

As I and others have noted, this is a precedent-setting episode for the West Virginia Legislature. I hope to provide some historical and national context in my ensuing coverage.

The Legislature: Pay Raises

Though Gov. Joe Manchin's teacher pay raise proposal finally reached the Legislature last week, lawmakers continue to ponder alternative bills as well as salary hikes sought by other groups.

These other groups include themselves. The Charleston Daily Mail assesses the impact of a legislative pay raise on the state's main public pension fund.

Teachers groups, meanwhile, are challenging the statistics blitz launched by Team Manchin last week to boost its legislation over the competing bills, as the Register-Herald of Beckley reports.

Corrections officers saw a pay raise bill benefiting them advance in the Senate last week, as The Charleston Gazette relates. Manchin has included money for a $1,000 raise for corrections in his budget, rather than proposing a pay hike bill.

W.Va. Turnpike, agency in spotlight this week

The Legislature (and the public) went Bakersfield Chimp on the West Virginia Turnpike's parent agency last year, after its ill-fated attempt to raise toll rates. Lawmakers repealed their earlier mandate for the so-called Shady Spring interchange, while essentially taking over the authority's bond-issuing powers.

The backlash continues this session, with a proposal to tighten the Legislature's leash on the authority while setting the stage for the Division of Highways to take over the toll road.

In The Associated Press story above (also found here), I note that lawmakers could be hearing more about turnpike operations this week. Gov. Joe Manchin expects a report this week on an in-depth study of the authority from the national consulting firm he's hired to aid his administration.

The authority began this session on poor footing after a legislative audit detailed the financial shortcomings of its Tamarack center.

The Register-Herald of Beckley also has a story.

The Legislature: Roll Out the Barrel

The House and Senate have yet to replace the fabled Budget Digest, which "recommended" millions of dollars worth of spending on hundreds of projects and causes each year. Lawmakers opted to junk this vehicle in 2006 to avoid a lawsuit challenging their spending priorities.

Critics considered it a form of political pork, though supporters argued it lacked the force of law and earmarked but a fraction of the state's general revenue and lottery-funded budgets.

Another sort of pork-barrel politicking could be on the chopping block this session: the grants that public officials pass out, in front of crowds and cameras, around election time. The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports on legislation that would ban that practice.

Missing in Action II: The Showdown

Long-absent Delegate Ron Thompson missed his own deadline for returning to the House on Monday, renewing the pressure on leadership to act.

Unable to find a previous example of such conduct, House officials will create precedent in their handling of Thompson's case and so have treaded carefully. But the House speaker concluded earlier that a continued failure to appear would amount to a refusal to take the oath of office. The state constitution requires a lawmaker to forfeit his seat for such a refusal.

Though Thompson has alleged he is seeking treatment for a medical condition, he also told the speaker last month that he wanted to continue serving in the House and planned to return by Feb. 5.

The press staked out his desk in the Chamber, his legislative office and even the House Clerk's office waiting for him to show up. They included Thompson's hometown Register-Herald of Beckley, The Charleston Gazette, and MetroNews.

Previous posts on the elusive Delegate Thompson are here, here and here.

The Legislature, Day 27

The 2007 session hits its midpoint on Thursday, and various topics are jockeying for the attention of lawmakers as crunch time approaches:

* As noted below, The Associated Press reports on several health care-related issues: the future of AccessWV and anti-obesity efforts from the Public Employees Insurance Agency.

* The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler links the fate of the more robust teacher pay raise proposals to the recent teacher pension merger ruling. The AP offers the latest on options facing lawmakers and state officials in the ruling's wake.

* Kabler also offers some interesting statistics from the state's Problem Gamblers Help Network (2nd item in his column), within the context of the ongoing table games debate.

* MetroNews looks at a bill that would require the governor to fill a judicial vacancy within 90 days, spurred by the lag time in appointing a new circuit judge for Wood County,.

* Public Broadcasting will interview Supreme Court Chief Justice Robin Davis this evening on The Legislature Today. Davis continues to pursue "Year of the Child" initiatives begun last year, while studies commissioned by the state's highest court recommend additional circuit and family court judges.

Quote of the Day

"I can honestly tell you I am not in any way, shape or form pursuing that whatsoever... You never know what will happen, but I can tell you that with the job I have right now, there's so much still we have left to do in West Virginia."

-- Gov. Joe Manchin, responding to questions from Marshall University students about whether he may become a running mate to a 2008 presidential candidate, according to The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington.

A Mighty Wind

Following up on his "Declaration of Energy Independence," Gov. Joe Manchin has proposed legislation addressing West Virginia's emerging wind power industry.

The Register-Herald of Beckley touches on that proposal while reporting on a Senate bill that would govern how and where the mammoth wind turbines would be located.

Renewable energy is also the topic of a recent article from The Parsons Advocate, offered as an Associated Press Exchange feature. The author, Chris Stadelman, is a veteran business writer who also took a turn at AP before settling in as the gentleman publisher of a country newspaper.

The Sunday Gazette-Mail, meanwhile, reports on how a Houston oil heir now has also become West Virginia's biggest coal owner.

Montani Saepe Aegeri

With Monday marking Rural Health Day at the Legislature, and Wednesday designated Public Health Day, the well-being of West Virginians comes into focus this week.

The Associated Press' Tom Breen ponders the future of AccessWV, the state-managed health insurance fund of last resort for residents otherwise unable to get coverage. A majority of states offer high-risk pools, though West Virginia's _ which does NOT cover enrollees with tax dollars _ is facing a funding crisis.

The AP's April Vitello continues coverage of one of the Mountain State's biggest health care problems: obesity. Vitello reports on programs pursued by the Public Employees Insurance Agency and like Breen, offers a national perspective as well.

Bright Shiny Objects

That's what Statehouse veterans call a peculiar strain of legislation that captivates lawmakers well beyond the scope of its potential impact.

Oftentimes, the bill is not on any agenda but somehow still manages to grab a higher profile than measures that are. Critics may consider them distractions, but they can end up changing the dynamic of a session.

Sometimes, they expose West Virginia to ridicule, regardless of their merits. An example; 1998's "Road Kill Bill," which proposed allowing motorists to keep wildlife felled by vehicles. It is now the law. Don Imus, among others, had a field day.

This session's Bright Shiny Object is the resolution urging Gov. Joe Manchin to change the greeting on state welcome signs from "Open for Business" to "Wild, Wonderful."

As I noted when The Associated Press reported on this last week, "Wild, Wonderful" has not been on highway welcome signs since the administration of Gov. Gaston Caperton (1989-1997).

Caperton had pushed to adopt a new slogan, "A Welcome Change," starting with the state license plate. The public was about as thrilled at that as they seem to be by "Open for Business."

Drawn from his 2004 campaign for governor, Manchin proposed it as a welcome slogan the following year. He then unveiled a revamped highway sign during his 2006 State of the State address.

Manchin's new signs were added to 114 crossings along major highways, according to state officials. These officials note that Caperton's successor, Gov. Cecil Underwood, restored "Wild, Wonderful" at about 80 other, minor border crossings.

All 11 Senate Republicans have co-sponsored the pending resolution. Democrats have proposed polling state residents on the topic. The resolution's supporters cite an online petition begun last year that targets "Open for Business," calling it "ridiculous."

The petition received some press in October, when it attracted 25,000 names within about a month. It has added nearly 4,000 more since then (it does contain duplicates). Both the petition and the resolution sum up the supporters' sentiments.

Team Manchin will likely respond as they have to other recent challenges: by pointing to the results of the November elections and the 83 percent approval rating the governor enjoyed among voters.

Other reports on the slogan slugout can be found here and here.

Gov. Manchin Gets Some Mail

The state's environmental community is claiming a minor victory of sorts this weekend in their ongoing quest to have Raleigh County's Marsh Fork Elementary School relocated away from a coal processing facility.

Activists converged on Gov. Joe Manchin after he spoke at a South Charleston Chamber of Commerce event, to hand him hundreds of letters from schoolchildren enlisted worldwide to demand action over Marsh Fork. The activists also sported a large banner as they confronted the governor in front of the unsuspecting audience.

One of the groups involved, Coal River Mountain Watch, issued a press release on the Feb. 2 "surprise delivery." (There are also photos from it floating around cyberspace, and I'm looking for the link).

Oddly, the activists had boasted the previous day of giving Manchin the letters by hand. The Feb. 2 release and other Internet chatter about the stunt alleges the governor had "dodged" the attempted Feb. 1 delivery, perhaps by sending out an aide to the environmentalists.

The Legislature: Table Games

The House of Delegates started the ball rolling for the racetrack table games bill with the public hearing hosted jointly by its Judiciary and Finance committees. Each panel has been assigned to review House Bill 2718, starting with Judiciary.

With several dozen speakers addressing lawmakers, I tried to include as many of the representative groups as possible in The Associated Press' story: local officials (pro), families ravaged by gambling (con and pro, actually), anti-gambling activists (con), and racetrack workers, racing industry people and chamber of commerce types (all pro).

As I point out, supporters outnumbered foes among the speakers by more than 3:1. But I expect anti-gambling forces to show their strength during a rally next week. I also note that lawmakers heard many of these arguments _ and from a number of the same people, both pro and con _ during public hearings held for prior, failed incarnations of the bill.

Among others covering the hearing: The Register-Herald of Beckley starts off with the wife of a gambling addict (who also spoke a previous session's hearing); The Charleston Gazette focuses on the supporters' superior numbers; MetroNews gives a smattering of comments plus audio; W.Va. Media, meanwhile, has a story as well as video.

The Legislature: Bills of Every Stripe...UPDATED

With nearly 1,200 bills introduced to date and more on the way, lawmakers are considering plenty of issues beyond pay raises, table games and taxes. We can't write about them all, but we do try to depart from the beaten path on occasion:

* The Associated Press highlights one attempt to deter copper and metal thefts. Brazen acts of pilfering have popped up here and all over the country. Those two hapless souls who got lost while, er, exploring an idled underground mine come to mind.

* The Register-Herald of Beckley reports on the drive to add more circuit judges statewide, fueled by a recent state Supreme Court-commissioned study. MetroNews also has a story.

* MetroNews takes up a bill championed by Secretary of State Betty Ireland and female lawmakers that aims to aid domestic violence victims. The Charleston Gazette reports on that bill as well.

* On its Outlook program this evening, Public Broadcasting will review proposals targeting illegal labor as it revisits the subject of immigrant workers in West Virginia. The program will air again on Sunday.

* Looking at a non-starter this session, the AP hears from consumer advocates who declare the payday lending issue dead in West Virginia.

* And though it's not a bill, the Daily Mail weighs an item from Gov. Joe Manchin's State of the State address: his drive to link future grant funding for counties to their anti-litter efforts.

UPDATE: The Gazette scrutinizes a bill that coincides with Raleigh County's deadly propane explosion, amid its continuing coverage of that accident. According to the article, the West Virginia Propane Gas Dealers Association seeks to regulate who can handle propane equipment and appliances, including tanks like the one involved in the fatal blast. House Bill 2733 also offers the industry some liability protections.

The Legislature, Day 22: Libraries - UPDATED

Thursday is Library Day at the Legislature, and trouble looms for West Virginia's county-based libraries.

Staff, patrons and supporters fear lawmakers will repeal a series of special laws that require a number of counties to devote property tax revenue to their libraries.

A recent state Supreme Court ruling found the school aid formula cheats those counties as written. The ruling requires the Legislature to act by July 1, else the school aid formula is deemed unconstitutional.

West Virginia ranks 6th in the country for state funding of libraries, but that could change this session. A Library Commission official recently complained that the state is among the worst for local funding of libraries.

Even some lawmakers say their local librarians are spending as much time traveling the community or even the state to raise funds, as they are tending to the stacks and shushing people.

UPDATE: The Associated Press' Shaya Tayefe Mohajer will have a story detailing the issue, but today she remains in the thick of reporting on the terrible gas station explosion in Raleigh County. Her admirable coverage of this tragedy has been picked up worldwide.

The Wheeling News-Register, though, offers a local view of libraries feeling the crunch.

Ka-Boom

The week began with rumblings about a bulls-eye painted on the state's effort, still in its infancy, to deliver lower prescription drug costs for public health care programs.

The playing field changed this morning when the Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council voted at an emergency meeting to withdraw its proposed financial disclosure rule. The Associated Press' Tom Breen appears to have been the first with the story.

Breen's story is also here, and will be updated soon. MetroNews is also reporting on this, and has audio from key lawmakers on the topic.

Advocates of this effort consider advertising and promotional spending disclosures key to negotiating with the industry.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has a different approach, reflected by an ongoing multi-state bus tour. TV talk show host Montel Williams helped kick off the tour at the Capitol last month. Gov. Joe Manchin joined Montel at his W.Va. appearance.

Quote of the Day

‘‘Somebody could slap them around, you know, and nobody could do anything about it if the guards aren’t there.’’

-- Sen. Shirley Love, D-Fayette, remarking on letters from West Virginia prison inmates in support of pay raises for corrections officers. Love's district includes the Mount Olive prison, where one in three guards quit in 2005. Turnover statewide for corrections officers rose to 20 percent, officials say.

An Unexpected Endorsement

The Associated Press' Tom Breen explores an interesting wrinkle in the ongoing push to improve corrections salaries. Inmates are writing lawmakers in support of pay raises.

These letters express an interesting point: just as corrections officers protect the public from these prisoners, they also protect inmates from each other.

West Virginia has seen turnover worsen among corrections staff in recent years. One in five statewide quit in 2005; at the Mount Olive prison, one in three left.

Officers warned legislators about the dangers of staffing shortages over the course of several monthly interim meetings. They underscored their message on Monday, Corrections Day at the Legislature.

Breen's story was picked up by our national wire. Besides USA Today and other major U.S. dailies, the article found its way to South Africa and other points abroad.

The Pursuit of Lower Drug Costs

As Congress considers negotiating for lower drug prices for the federal Medicare program, West Virginia continues to weigh its options in this arena.

The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports on a push by several union and consumer-oriented groups to bolster the state's Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council. The Charleston Gazette also has a story.

More Trouble for Sen. White

Word started to float around the Capital late Tuesday morning alleging a brush with the law involving Sen. Randy White, D-Webster. News later emerged that White had been cited by Charleston police for the hit-and-run of a vehicle.

All three Charleston-Huntington television stations also had the story, as does Public Broadcasting and MetroNews. While it is not unheard of for a lawmaker to get in a legal scrape during a 60-day session, White only recently had his 15 minutes of fame.

I am reminded that the West Virginia Constitution immunizes lawmakers from having to appear in court while in session: "Members of the Legislature shall, in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during the session, and for ten days before and after the same..."

The Legislature: Pay Raises - UPDATED

Each day seems to bring a new bill to vie with Gov. Joe Manchin's pay raise proposals. The latest, a bipartisan measure, would retool the state's school aid formula to free up local property tax revenue for teacher and service personnel salaries.

The Register-Herald of Beckley reports on a competing measure that would satisfy the quest by at least one teacher's group for a 6 percent raise.

UPDATE: Manchin's teacher pay raise bills finally reached the House and Senate today.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, has advanced pay hike proposals for corrections and related officers, The Charleston Gazette reports.

UPDATE: The Charleston Daily Mail reports that the session's pay hike proposal for legislators also includes a boost to their health benefits.

Let the Games Begin

With the same level of fanfare that marked their two previous-but-doomed attempts, the state's racetracks and their allies unveiled this session's casino table games legislation today.

All four track CEOs were on hand to herald the new bills, joined by other executives, dozens of track workers and a number of their local officials. Charleston Mayor Danny Jones was particularly pointed in his remarks targeting table games opponents.

As I point out in my story, supporters have sought to sweeten the deal by promising some of the proceeds to police, fire and deputy sheriff pension funds. That money is in addition to a higher state tax rate, and a percentage earmarked for thoroughbred and greyhound breeders' funds.

The Associated Press offers a glance of the proposal's highlights.

Though introduced today, the table games legislation has been a topic earlier this session (previous posts here and here).

The Legislature, Day 21: Fun Facts

Bills introduced to date: 1,131

Bills passed by at least one chamber: 22

Bills sent to the governor: 1

Manchin proposals presented as legislation: 17

Today is: Support our Seniors Day

Legislative receptions held to date (bear in mind, they don't meet on weekends): 18

Quote of the Day

“Our manpower is so short that you might have to bring in the National Guard to give us a break.”

-- Cpl. J. Hilewitz, an officer at the maximum-security prison at Mount Olive, in The Charleston Gazette's report on Corrections Day and the quest for higher raises from the Legislature.

Manchin stakes out energy as national issue

Gov. Joe Manchin is starting to get some attention for the "Declaration of Energy Independence" he co-signed Monday with Kentucky's governor. The article by AP Business Writer Tim Huber has shown up in Houston and Atlanta newspapers, among other points, and can also be found here.

The Legislature: Dueling Agendas

Gov. Joe Manchin's legislative agenda has pretty much taken shape for the session. There have been 16 proposals to date, each having a House and Senate version. Two more are expected this week. Last year, the governor had a 19-item legislative agenda.

The Legislature's Democratic leaders do not appear to have a formal list of policy goals. Former House Speaker Bob Kiss sometimes sought to pass a relative handful of bills within a session's first two weeks. But his successor, Speaker Rick Thompson, and Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin have yet to anoint any specific proposals this session.

Enter the Republicans. House and Senate GOP lawmakers plan to hold a 10 a.m. press conference this morning to outline their agenda for the session.

Last year's agenda included abolishing the food tax, curbs on eminent domain and tougher sexual predator laws. The Legislature passed bills for each of those issues -- prompting the Republicans to boast that the majority party keeps stealing from their playbook.

Of course, each party's approach has differed. Action on eminent domain, for instance, fell short of the constitutional amendment sought by Republicans, while the Democrats have opted to phase out the food tax over time.

And while most Republicans oppose table games, whether that becomes part of an official agenda remains to be seen. The loss of Ohio County's two House seats should strengthen the GOP's resolve in that chamber (in the House, the 2006 elections shut the Republicans entirely out of the Northern Panhandle; their closest seat is in Tyler County). But two of the Senate's 11 Republicans will be co-sponsoring today's table games bill in that chamber.

Judge Puts the Kibosh on Teacher Pension Merger - UPDATED

I take a crack today at last week's ruling that nixes the state's plan to merge its two teacher retirement programs. I hope to update with further comment later.

The Charleston Daily Mail has its take as well.

As I first noted on this topic, props to MetroNews for apparently breaking the story. Talkline's Hoppy Kercheval follows up in his column.

UPDATE: The Consolidated Public Retirement Board has posted the judge's order online. The board has also helpfully posted other documents from the case.

A Thousand Bills

There are now more than 1,000 bills floating around the Legislature, and we've only completed a third of the session.

Filings today and Friday were particularly heavy as we've hit the deadline for introducing rules bills. This legislation authorizes the rules that state agencies and programs need to operate, and by my count they represent one out of every five bills introduced.

Another popular topic this session is crime and punishment: nearly 11 percent of the bills would create new offenses, stiffen or change punishments for existing crimes or address the probation or parole systems.

About 8 percent of the bills involve taxes (almost all propose cuts, credits or exemptions).

The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler reports that there is huge backlog in the office that drafts bills for introduction (third item in column).

I count 1,063 bills as of today, while there were 1,352 bills introduced as of Day 20 of last year's session. That reflected about 58 percent of the eventual total.

Most Senate bills this session must be introduced by Feb. 19, while that deadline in the House is Feb. 23 (the session ends March 10).

Charnock not yet off the hook

After keeping the lowest of profiles for more than a year, the Bill Charnock probe has been given a shot in the arm, according to The Charleston Gazette.

A judge has given the special prosecutor in the case more time and latitude to investigate Charnock's conduct while head of the state's Prosecuting Attorney's Institute. (Evidence of how off-the-radar this matter has been: Judge Paul Zakaib apparently signed the order extending the special prosecutor's term back in November...)

The probe was sparked by a legislative audit that found that Charnock had used the institute to run his successful, 2004 campaign for Kanawha County prosecutor as well as prior campaigns for two of his siblings. (This audit also involved ex-U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner, and offers a possible reason behind Warner's abrupt removal from that appointed post)

Charnock has chalked up the audit to politics, and similarly regards previous reports (here and here) questioning his tenure at the institute. He tells the Gazette that he intends to serve out his four-year term.

The Legislature, Day 20

No one seems happy with the pay raises recommended by Gov. Joe Manchin (though some lawmakers appear glad he endorsed their proposed salary hike). In the wake of teachers and other public workers rallying at the Capitol for higher increases, West Virginia's corrections officers will make their pitch today and in uniform. The story is also here, and MetroNews offers its take on Corrections Day as well.

With the session's table games bill expected Tuesday, The Associated Press offers an overview of the issue and how this year's bid (and bill) departs from previous, failed attempts.

The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler is predicting that the Legislature will declaw the state's nascent program to wrestle price concession from prescription drug makers.

A Record Verdict?

I've covered the courts of this state since 1993, and I don't recall a jury verdict of this size: nearly $405 million awarded Saturday in a class-action lawsuit in Roane County Circuit Court. The case involves around 8,000 plaintiffs who sued over natural gas royalty payments. Punitive damages account for two-thirds of the verdict.

The Associated Press first reported the verdict Saturday, while The Times Record of Spencer offers some background about the trial. Defendant NiSource issued a statement Sunday calling the verdict "unprecedented and excessive," and warning it "could have a chilling effect on oil and natural gas development in the state."

UPDATE: The Charleston Gazette has an article today on the verdict and its potential impact.

UPDATE: I've added a link above to the AP story.

Sunday roundup

Credit goes to MetroNews for being perhaps the only media outfit to report on a Friday ruling that appears to derail the state's planned merger of its two teacher retirement programs.

The teachers' 401(k)-style plan was closed to new members, and enrollees voted in a special election to move to the older, traditional pension plan.

But the lawsuit from objecting enrollees had previously blocked the slated merger, pending the final ruling. Legislation had closed the new plan, re-opened the older one and set up the special election. Further action by lawmakers may now be required, though the state can also appeal.

The Associated Press also highlights West Virginia's latest effort to combat rampant obesity, this time by targeting its Medicaid population.

W.Va. schools face yet another threat

Already pressed to retool the state's school aid formula and carve out extra funding for teacher pay raises, the Legislature now faces the potential loss of $2 million to West Virginia's education system after a federal rural aid program expired last year.

(Props to Associated Press bureau-mate Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, whose look at the possible national impact got great "play," as we say. Besides a prominent place on the front page of the Sunday Gazette-Mail, her article also made the "A" section of the Sunday New York Times.)

The 78th Legislature, Episode I: Our Story So Far

The Legislature will hit the one-third mark of its 60-day regular session on Monday. Among the highlights to date:

BEHIND-THE-SCENES ARM-TWISTING. Though both the table games bill and Gov. Joe Manchin's teacher pay raise proposal have yet to be introduced, each has dominated the talks featuring lawmakers, the administration and the affected special interest groups. Team Manchin quietly yet successfully pressed the racetracks into doubling the potential tax on the casino games while pledging some of the proceeds for seniors. The administration also stuck to its proposed pay raise levels while launching a counter-offensive to dissuade its critics.

AILING LAWMAKERS. No-show Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, has blamed an undisclosed medical condition for a continued absence from the Legislature that began back to early 2006. But two other lawmakers have missed parts of this session because of more apparent health problems. Sen. Bill Sharpe, D-Lewis, is recovering from 10-hour brain surgery performed to treat an aneurysm. Sharpe turned 78 last month. Delegate Joe Talbott, D-Webster, meanwhile spent his 74th birthday in the hospital this week as he continues to deal with complications from a heart attack suffered in November (his family believes the outcome would have been a lot worse, had he not been in Charleston for Manchin's special session on taxes).

GUFFAWS AND CRICKETS. If the Senate has a Shecky Greene, it's Sharpe, and his obvious anxiety over the upcoming operation did not stop him from cracking wise in a floor speech before beginning his leave of absence last week. He told his colleagues he hoped the surgeons did not take too much of his brain, else he feared he would end up a Republican... In the House, newly minted Judiciary Chairwoman Carrie Webster, D-Kanawha, asked her fellow delegates to welcome members of the ACLU and West Virginia Free, an abortion rights coalition, who were in the public galleries during a recent floor session. Lawmakers routinely point out guests during the session, to at least polite applause. The reaction to these two groups suggests they rank right up there with NAMBLA. Yeah, that was awkward...

Quote of the Day

"He was looking directly at me, giving me the finger and just ran into the guardrail."

-- Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford, telling the Charleston Daily Mail about a Thursday evening encounter with an alleged drunken driver.

CORRECTION: I goofed by attributing Thursday's quote to Sen. Ed Bowman. It actually came from Forrest "Jack" Bowman. My apologies.

The Legislature, Day 17 - Updated

Gov. Joe Manchin isn't budging from his pay proposals for teachers and other public workers. He has released spending projections in a bid to silence advocates of higher raises and dissuade lawmakers from heeding them.

The Register-Herald of Beckley reports on a different approach to improving teacher pay, by allowing counties to devote more property tax revenue to their school systems. The Journal of Martinsburg has also previewed the expected bill, which I hope to tackle once it's introduced.

UPDATE: A colleague recommends this Daily Mail article from earlier in the week, which weighs state teacher salaries against the cost of living. Team Manchin also sought to provide this context with its recently released figures.

Lottery Director John Musgrave will resume his pitch to the House Finance Committee this morning, to follow up on questions raised Thursday about grabbing a larger share of potential racetrack table games proceeds for the state.

The Associated Press will provide a major overview of the table games issue Sunday, as this session's bill is expected to debut in the coming week.

The Charleston Gazette also reports on the dollar signs in Lottery's and lawmakers' eyes. Public Broadcasting, meanwhile, rounds out its week-long look at table games with its Outlook program, which will air again this morning and Sunday at noon. Its show The Legislature Today will host Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, for its 6:30 p.m. call-in show this evening (1-800-672-9672).

Mine safety also remains an issue this session, with lawmakers pursuing measures beyond what Manchin has proposed in his legislative agenda. The AP's Tom Breen reports.

MetroNews follows up on tobacco tax proposals examined earlier by AP for Tobacco Free Day. And Talkline's Hoppy Kercheval previews what he predicts will be the high-profile abortion bill this session, a measure targeting Medicaid funding.

UPDATE: The Daily Mail today reports on campaign finance measures and future funding for both the popular Courtesy Patrol and state mapping board.

Also, Legislative Services offers its weekly wrap-up.

Delegate Thompson Gets A Reprieve

In a letter to the House speaker, MIA Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, blames a mystery "medical condition" for his continued absence but says he plans to return to the Legislature by Feb. 5.

The response to the ultimatum issued by the speaker last week prompted the House Rules Committee today to postpone any further action on Thompson until then.

Elected to a 7th two-year term in November, Thompson remains ineligible to collect his $15,000-a-year salary until he takes his oath of office.

UPDATE: A longer version of the story is here.

I Say "Table Games," You See $$$

Racetrack officials may have to fall back and regroup after the House Finance Committee discussed demanding an even larger share of the potential proceeds from casino table games (the story is also here).

Gov. Joe Manchin had recently persuaded the tracks to double the tax on gross proceeds to 24 percent in the expected bill.

But House Finance members suggested today that the rate should be 34 percent, equal to what the tracks initially pay for their video lottery terminals.

Lottery Director John Musgrave, meanwhile, wants to see the tracks each pay $2.5 million a year for a table games license. Prior versions of the bill set no such fee.

UPDATE: The state Racing Association seeks to take the talk of a bigger take in stride.

Quote of the Day

"The word ‘tacky’ comes to mind."

-- Retired WVU law professor Jack Bowman, quoted by The Charleston Gazette on election campaign fundraisers held during the legislative session.

The Legislature, Day 16

As Thursday is Tobacco Free Day at the Legislature, I have reviewed several related measures including some proposed cigarette and tobacco tax hikes (the story is also here).

The AP's Tom Breen continues his coverage of legislation addressing the state's deadly dealings with methadone. The Charleston Gazette also has a story on the bill.

AP also reports on one state senator's approach to the daunting challenge of energy independence.

The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington looks at the emerging debate over regional jail fees, which have drained revenues from Cabell and other counties. (Warning: the H-D page keeps crashing my browsers)

Delegate Thompson Comes Up For Air - UPDATED

MIA Delegate Ron Thompson has replied to the ultimatum issued via certified mail last week by House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne and no relation.

The speaker's office said it received the written response today. Its contents won't be divulged, however, until the House Rules Committee meets after Thursday's floor session.

UPDATE: Citing an unnamed "close relative," the Register-Herald of Beckley reports Thursday that that no-show delegate is claiming a medical problem but plans to return to the House on Feb. 5.

A Wednesday Register-Herald story said the Raleigh County Democrat had failed to answer a traffic citation in Beckley Municipal Court on Tuesday. The paper reports this morning that Thompson's ticket has been paid.

The Legislature, Day 15: Fun Facts

Bills introduced to date: 732 (524 in House, 208 in Senate)

Bills passed at least one chamber: 12 (7 by House, 5 by Senate); 1.6% of total.

Bills sent to the governor: 1 (HB2105, meant to relieve teacher shortages via substitutes)

Manchin legislative proposals introduced as bills: 15

Tonight, legislators are invited to party with: the Heritage Foundation.

The Legislature, Day 15: Table Games -- UPDATED

Though this year's version of the racetrack table games bill is not yet ready for prime time, the surrounding buzz prompted a raft of stories today.

I focused on the behind-the-scenes involvement of Gov. Joe Manchin and his Lottery officials, who are pressing the bill's authors on such issues as a 24 percent state "tax" rate and funding for seniors (the story can also be found here and here).

The racetrack folks tell me that Team Manchin has been fairly insistent. Annual and one-time fees charged to the tracks, on top of the gross proceeds tax, are also matters of contention.

But as I also point out, all this talk of revenue is moot unless voters somehow approve these games. The Charleston Gazette starts off on this topic, underscoring the tracks' desire to have countywide elections.

The Register-Herald of Beckley also has a table games story, as does MetroNews. Hoppy Kercheval opines on the issue as well in his column today.

And Public Broadcasting continues its week-long focus on table games with the Rev. Dennis Sparks of the W. Va. Council of Churches as this evening's guest on The Legislature Today.

Sparks is among the leading foes of legalized gambling in the Mountain State. He told me yesterday that his coalition is gearing up for the looming fight.

UPDATE: The Charleston Daily Mail lends its editorial voice to the issue, opining in favor of table games today. They also offered an overview of the issue earlier.

Going Private

The New York Times reports that Illinois has begun the process of selling its state lottery system, a new wrinkle in an emerging trend of privatizing components of state (and sometimes local) government.

The article notes that Indiana recently privatized toll roads, and is also considering shedding its lottery. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are considering a similar route for their turnpikes.

West Virginia lawmakers have weighed privatizing its turnpike as they grapple with the future of its governing authority and that agency's money-losing Tamarack center.

Interestingly, Senate Minority Leader Don Caruth, R-Mercer, opposes privatizing the turnpike. He recently declared that a worse idea than keeping its tolls.

Lawmakers and the Division of Highways, however, both appear willing to embrace allowing private companies to run tolls on new roads to recoup their building costs under public-private agreements.

The Legislature, Day 14

This month's deadly apartment building fire in Huntington has spurred state Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis to lobby the Legislature to mandate sprinklers in certain buildings.

Lawmakers are also considering a measure to require drug testing of high school athletes. Such testing would focus mainly on football, baseball, wrestling, track and field, and swimming (cross country appears a glaring oversight).

The House Judiciary Committee could weigh changing how West Virginia enforces child support orders after learning Monday that past-due support exceeds $700 million (another take on this topic is here).

An Eastern Panhandle delegate, meanwhile, wants West Virginia to adopt an Old Dominion law that limits handgun sales to one per month. The city of Charleston enacted a similar ordinance in the 1990s to great controversy.

As legislators begin to craft a new state budget, the agency that runs the Cultural Center (home of Mountain Stage, the state archives and the still-closed state museum) wants nearly $2.6 million to upgrade fire protection measures there.

And though not as numerous as teachers, the state's corrections officers have also begun to press lawmakers for raises larger than what Gov. Joe Manchin has proposed. A group of them picketed in Moundsville on Monday, and a larger contingent is expected to lobby at the Capitol on Jan. 29.

Quote of the Day

"Perhaps if we put the money in libraries now, they wouldn't end up in jails when they got older."

-- J.D. Waggoner, secretary of the state Library Commission, lamenting the move by several counties to cut library funding to cover regional jail costs.

The Legislature, Day 13: Fun Facts

Bills introduced to date: 585 (413 in House, 172 in Senate)

Proposals from Gov. Joe Manchin presented as legislation: 13

Today is: Agriculture & Conservation Day; Grange Day; Wyoming County Day

Tonight, legislators have been invited to party with: W.Va. Municipal League

The Legislature, Day 13 -- Updated

The Associated Press' Tom Breen kicks off the week with a look at legislative proposals targeting drug abuse and fatal overdoses in the Mountain State.

A top concern of lawmakers is methadone. The Charleston Gazette was perhaps the first in the country to report the spate of deaths nationwide blamed on the drug, even when it was used as prescribed. West Virginia has led the nation in per-capita methadone-related deaths.

The AP also continued its scrutiny of Gov. Joe Manchin's proposed budget by examining the $1.5 million earmarked for a flood wall in Pocahontas County.

Public Broadcasting wades into the debate over table games with various sides of the issue appearing on its Legislature Today program all this week. Lottery Director John Musgrave will start things off on Monday. Tuesday will pit Sen. Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio, against Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell.

The Gazette's Phil Kabler takes a quick look at the lobbyists signed up to sway lawmakers this session, while Hoppy Kercheval of MetroNews ponders the future of the Promise scholarship program. Hoppy's take is drawn from Daily Mail coverage of the issue.

UPDATE: The Daily Mail focuses on a pending bill that would tap a new source of jail revenue and the perennial couch-burning bill, while taking another crack at the teacher pay raise issue.

The Gazette also continues its scrutiny of the state Medicaid program, reflecting questions raised by lawmakers about the administration's handling of proposed changes. Prior coverage prompted an op-ed response from Health and Human Resources Secretary Martha Walker. Gazette Editorial Page Editor Dawn Miller weighed in on the topic in her weekend column.

Stating the State of the State

When the media reported on Gov. Joe Manchin's Jan. 10 State of the State address, we focused almost entirely on his legislative and policy proposals for the coming year. With limited space and time, it made sense to highlight what the governor was asking of lawmakers and taxpayers.

But as its title suggests, the address is also supposed to detail the state's recent track record and current health, fiscal and otherwise (and as The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler recently noted, the State of the State was not always a speech. It instead began as a document delivered to the Legislature to start the session. This duty is spelled out in the West Virginia Constitution).

Manchin made several representations about the status of West Virginia. Chief among them: "In the last two years, employment in West Virginia has risen by more than 18,000 jobs with approximately $3.5 billion worth of new business investments being made in our state."

The first claim is easy to check, and a review shows Manchin somewhat lowballed it. West Virginia had 753,600 private-sector jobs in December 2004, the month before Manchin took office. The number of jobs grew by 24,200 as of December 2006, the last month for seasonally adjusted figures from WorkForce West Virginia.

I would also note that unemployment grew by one-tenth of 1 percent during that time, to 5.1 percent, with 1,900 more people receiving jobless benefits.

The second claim is tougher to track, and I'll need to do some more research. I can say that corporate net income and business franchise tax collections _ perhaps an indicator of commercial activity _ nearly doubled between fiscal years 2004 and 2006.

West Virginia University's Bureau of Business and Economic Research constantly measures this area, and its more recent findings offer a mixed bag. For instance, the state saw jobs grow by 1.3 percent in 2005, its best showing since 2000. The national job growth rate during that time was 1.5 percent, however.

As for the health of state government, Manchin listed several achievements for 2006. They included an overall reduction in public employees and nearly $1 billion devoted to pension shortfalls. The latter claim is true, and Manchin extended credit to a "very responsible Legislature" that had made tackling pension debts a priority.

I'm not sure about the decline in state workers. Manchin issued a press release in August boasting 444 fewer positions, a drop of 1.5 percent, that did not count the privatization of the workers' compensation program. Again, additional research is required.

The Legislature, Day 10: Roundup

With the session hitting the one-sixth mark, The Associated Press runs through the tax-related bills from Gov. Joe Manchin introduced so far. (I count at least 51 tax- or fee-related bills overall, out of 535 introduced as of Friday).

MetroNews reports on the brain surgery that Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Sharpe, 78, must undergo on Monday. The Lewis County Democrat has spent more than 46 years in the Senate.

Public Broadcasting's The Legislature Today interviews House Minority Leader Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, this evening.

The Legislature's Office of Reference & Information also offers its own wrap-up of the week's events.

Updating on legislative pay raises, Senate Bill 38 reflects the citizen panel's recommendations and was introduced on Jan. 10. My apologies for missing it earlier.

Advancing that story, MetroNews talks to Sen. Donna Boley, R-Pleasants, who opposes the measure. The link includes audio from Boley.

Quote of the Day

"Lane's bill is so completely flawed, that it's surprising that it comes from a lawyer."

-- Charleston Mayor Danny Jones, a critic of a proposal by Delegate Patrick Lane, R-Kanawha, to bar cities and towns from charging user fees to non-residents.

Mountain State women on the move

Campaigns & Elections magazine includes Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., among "5 Women to Watch: (Who Aren't Named Nancy Pelosi... or Hillary Clinton)" in this month's issue. A subscription is required, but the Charleston Daily Mail has a story on the story.

The AP also gives Capito props for her role in a resolution aimed at protecting congressional pages from future Mark Foleys. The U.S. House unanimously adopted the resolution earlier today.

Capito's former haunt, the House of Delegates, meanwhile has welcomed Sharon Malcolm as the first woman doorkeeper in the Legislature's history. The Daily Mail previously noted the number of female lawmakers in (House) leadership posts in the 78th Legislature. Their ranks include the chairs of House Judiciary and Education.

The Legislature has 19 women out of 134 members, including two in the 34-seat Senate.

The struggle toward safer mines

It's been a busy week on the mine safety front. West Virginia's mine safety chief made his pitch to the House Finance Committee for a $4.3 million boost to his agency's salary; Ron Wooten will present his request to the Senate Finance Committee at the end of the month.

Wooten's agency, meanwhile, has cited International Coal Group over the way it has tested for deadly methane at the Sago Mine, where 12 miners died in last year's tragic blast. The citation carries an as-yet-unset fine.

The state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training also told the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety on Thursday of its proposal to require better electrical grounding to deter surges lightning.

Investigators believe lightning sparked the methane explosion at Sago. But lingering questions about the blast's cause, and other aspects of the disaster, have complicated a move to revisit state mine safety rules.

Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin offered his views on efforts in this arena to MetroNews.

UPDATE: AP Business Writer Tim Huber marks the first anniversary of the Aracoma Mine fire that killed two workers.

And a group of Republican state senators has proposed awarding tax credits to coal operators who buy top-shelf safety gear (see latter half of linked article).

Paging Delegate Thompson

MIA Delegate Ron Thompson faces an ultimatum over his prolonged, widely reported absence from the Legislature.

House Speaker Rick Thompson (no relation) has given the Raleigh County Democrat until Jan. 25 to explain his failure to appear, or say whether he plans to take his oath of office.

The state constitution says lawmakers forfeit their seats when they refuse to take the oath, and the speaker says he'll treat Thompson's failure to reply as such a refusal. The speaker says he may leave the final decision with the House Rules Committee.

The speaker has also blocked Thompson's salary pending a response to a registered letter mailed to the no-show delegate.

Voters were put on notice about Thompson's continued absence before they elected him to a seventh, two-year in November. While he initially spoke to media last year, I don't believe he's responded to requests for comment since the election. I think the closest the press has gotten to him this year has been a sister.

UPDATE: Here's the story. MetroNews also has a report, along with audio from two of Thompson's less truant Raleigh County colleagues.

The Legislature, Day 9: Fun Facts

Bills introduced to date: 452 (315 in House, 137 in Senate)

Proposals from Gov. Joe Manchin presented as legislation: 11

Today is: E-Day, Press Association Day, American Institute of Architects Day.

Tonight, legislators will be partying with: West Virginians for Life, the state Dental Association and the West Virginia Auto Show (Charity Gala).

Quote of the Day

"I took an overdose, and woke up four days later, and realized I couldn't even do that right."

-- Former House Majority Leader Rick Staton, D-Wyoming, in an interview with Anna Sale on West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Outlook program.

Ex-lawmaker bares all

Former House Majority Leader Rick Staton, D-Wyoming, has had a rough decade. Flooding destroyed his Mullens law office, his marriage fell apart, he and his ex-wife each filed for bankruptcy, and he was one of only two incumbents to lose in the May 2006 primary election.

There have been other bad patches, to be sure. Staton has agreed to talk about at least one of them: a struggle with depression that led to his emergency hospitalization in 2003.

Anna Sale interviews Staton on Outlook, the weekly program from West Virginia Public Broadcasting. It airs 9 p.m. tonight, and again at noon Sunday.

Legislative Pay Raises, Part II

I finally finished my closer look at the legislative pay raise proposal. The analysis I mentioned earlier had included DC and U.S. territories as well as states (Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands pay their lawmakers $60,000 and $65,000 a year, respectively, according to NCSL).

Compared to other states, West Virginia now ranks 30th for overall legislative pay. Among states with a part-time Legislature with a similar schedule and workload, it ranks third but would lead that pack by nearly $10,000 a year under the pay raise proposal. Even among full-time legislatures, the new salaries would rank 20th.

Neighboring Pennsylvania offers a cautionary tale of public backlash over legislative pay hikes. Some of our lawmakers likely remember the mighty tumult caused by the 1994 raise. I also try to point out that with teachers and others already in line for pay raises, the Legislature would reap the whirlwind were it to vote itself a salary hike and leave these (large) constituent groups unsatisfied.

But, as I noted before, we've got weeks to go yet.

The Legislature, Day 8: Fun Facts

Bills introduced to date: 413 (123 in Senate, 290 in House)

Bills passed to date: 2 (from House to Senate)

Today is: McDowell County Day.

Tonight, legislators are invited to party with: McDowell County officials.

Legislative Pay Raises

A pay raise for lawmakers easily ranks alongside a tax hike as the most unpopular measure to emerge from a legislative session. The Associated Press first reported last week that the Citizens Legislative Compensation Commission has recommended salary increases as well as boosts to per-day payments.

Gov. Joe Manchin endorsed those recommendations in his State of the State address. The Charleston Gazette and Daily Mail each has a decidedly different view.

I hope to provide some context on this issue later today. For instance: West Virginia ranks 34th for overall annual salary paid to lawmakers, but offers the third-highest salary among states with the same sort of (part-time) legislative schedule and workload, according to the latest figures from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

UPDATE: Hoppy Kercheval of MetroNews touches on the sensitive nature of legislative pay raise proposals in his column for today. He also offers other tidbits from the session thus far.

A White-Lined Nightmare: UPDATED

In a rather public case of "Oops...never mind," Transportation Secretary/Highways Commissioner Paul Mattox was apparently mistaken when he warned lawmakers of a threatened loss of about $111 million in federal road funds.

News of his comments to the Legislature today spurred assurances from the offices of Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., that federal highway dollars remain forthcoming.

But West Virginia's main source of money for highway building and repairs, the State Road Fund, remains in trouble, as my updated article reflects.

The AP today also looks at a push to ensure that the state's sixth grade girls (10,235 this year) are inoculated against a virus linked to cervical cancer. West Virginia apparently suffers a high incidence of this cancer, which has a devastating mortality rate. (That article is also here.)

Because the virus is transmitted sexually, vaccinating girls has been a touchy subject. But the pending bill has a champion in First Lady Gayle Manchin.

The Legislature, Day 7: Fun Facts

Bills introduced to date: 365 (265 in House, 100 in Senate)

Bills passed to date: 0 (Two up for Wednesday vote in the House)

Today, the Legislature was invited to lunch by: Charleston Area Medical Center.

Tonight, the Legislature is invited to party with: the Huntington Chamber of Commerce.

Besides being Transportation Day, with presentations detailing the anemic State Road Fund, Tuesday is also YMCA Day at the Legislature.

Quote of the Day

"Son, talk's cheap. Show me the money."

-- What House Majority Leader Joe DeLong, D-Hancock, said his mother told him upon greeting her as she and other teachers lobbied for higher pay raises at the Capitol.

The Legislature, Day 7: The Road Worriers

State officials and interested parties alike are expected to make the case for a better-financed highway system during Transportation Day at the Legislature.

While perhaps not the sole culprit, the State Road Fund has proved unable to stay abreast of inflation. A key revenue source, fuel taxes, also suffers as vehicle mileage improves.

AP offers an overview here, while the Charleston Daily Mail examines the option of public-private road projects.

The Legislature, Day 6: A Sea of Red

As mentioned below, the West Virginia Education Association and its allies converged on the Capitol today, their numbers boosted by the school holiday. The AP has details from the morning rally on the South steps, and looks at the issues involved (the story is also here).

Wearing their traditional red, these teachers and retirees also received props during the day's floor sessions from several lawmakers in both the House and Senate chambers, where they packed the public galleries. But the session has 54 days to go...

The competing American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia produced a large, vocal contingent that demonstrated outside the House Chamber last week, before Gov. Joe Manchin's State of the State address.

Quote of the Day

"I'm originally from Logan County, and we can tell you that you need a whole lot more to buy the entire state. You could probably buy only a few counties for that."

-- Former Delegate Arley Johnson, D-Cabell, referring to last year's ill-fated effort by Don Blankenship to influence the 2006 legislative elections, in Monday remarks to the House of Delegates. The Massey Energy Co. president, chairman and CEO reported spending $3.7 million on his independent political campaign.

The Legislature, Day 6: Teachers rally

Scrutiny of Gov. Joe Manchin's legislative proposals continues today as The Associated Press reports on the implications of his pay increase proposals for teachers and other educators (the story can also be found here).

A less-than-thrilled West Virginia Education Association hopes a 10 a.m. Capitol rally will help persuade lawmakers to sweeten the deal.

AP also took a closer look at Manchin's electronic prescriptions proposal over the weekend. Weekend coverage included perhaps the first in-depth profile of new House Speaker Rick Thompson, in the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

Looking ahead, West Virginia Public Broadcasting plans to interview Manchin on The Legislature Today this evening.

UPDATE: Hundreds of red-clad WVEA members have descended on the Capitol this morning. The AP's Shaya Tayefe Mohajer will have the details, and perhaps a head count.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday undoubtedly helped the WVEA mount a strong showing today. Several teachers, none too pleased about what the governor has put on the table, also spoke to Hoppy Kercheval this morning on Talkline.

Speaker Rick Thompson began today's House of Delegates floor session with a prayer from former member Arley Johnson, followed by his recitation of King's "I Have a Dream" speech. The dramatic reading by Johnson has become a tradition in the House on King's holiday.

Also today, The Charleston Daily Mail marks the holiday with an article profiling the House of Delegates' three black members.

Delegate Charlene Marshall, D-Monongalia, recounts attending segregated school and fielding phone calls from men seeking dissuade her from running for Morgantown City County because of her race.

McDowell County Delegate Cliff Moore talks about his late father, the veteran lawmaker Ernie Moore.

If you look through the old Blue Books, you don't see very many faces of color among the pages of legislators. You also won't see any among the senators: West Virginia elected its first African-American to the Senate in 1998.

It appears that what black delegates there were back then largely hailed from McDowell County. At least one was a woman. I've always wondered how they were treated by their colleagues, and the staff.

This was news to me: Marshall was the first black member of the West Virginia Women's Bowling Association, and can boast of a high game of 260.