Get ready for Special Session (Round 2 of the 2nd Special Session, that is)

The West Virginia Weakly Reader for Saturday, October 5, 2024

Oct 05, 2024

Since last weekend’s edition of The Weakly, Gov. Jim Justice called state lawmakers into a special session, they worked this past Monday and then adjourned until…tomorrow.

That’ll make nearly a full week between work sessions around the Capitol.

Some (including Glenn Elliott, Justice’s opponent in the race for U.S. Senate1) expressed suspicion that the governor waiting to call them back until already scheduled interim meetings (beginning tomorrow) would put things too close to the November election. Elliott’s point is well taken. Historically, it’s typical of special sessions to coincide with interim committee meetings, as many members of the West Virginia Legislature are already around Charleston.

Regardless, the House and Senate gaveled in on Monday and passed six bills2 requested by Gov. Justice — and say they’ll be back to work tomorrow to attempt take another bite out of the agenda3, which includes a proposed additional 5% cut to the state’s personal income tax.

But, speaking of tomorrow: Seeing as how Giles and I rarely get together in real life, we’re planning a mini-retreat. One of my favorite songwriters, Joe Pug, happened to get booked at The Purple Fiddle. And so, I twisted Giles’ arm (not that much, seeing as he has a soft spot for the Thomas-Davis area) and talked him into coming to the show. We both have a Sunday away from our real jobs (him away from the morning anchor chair in D.C. and me getting out from behind my overnight producer station in Morgantown.)

If you happen to be around The Purple Fiddle tomorrow night, find us and say hello. We can’t promise we’ll have anything insightful to say about the news, but we will do our best to try regale you while we’re enjoying ourselves out and about in a West Virginia town that belongs to neither of us.

The West Virginia Weakly Reader — For more on the sources we use, have a look at the footnotes to see the original reporting from news outlets across West Virginia.

🌀 The remnants of Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across parts of southern Appalachia last weekend, including one of the best towns in the entire region — Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve never had a bad time being there and if you’ve been yourself, I am guessing you feel the same. That said, if you’re interested in supporting efforts for relief down that way, Blue Ridge Public Radio has been sharing all sorts of ways to contribute on its social media channels and elsewhere online.4

🏡 While communities across the south continue to reel, some parts of West Virginia also felt the effects of Helene. Gov. Justice declared Tuesday that Mercer County was placed under a state of emergency as a result of damage from Helene. “This storm is one that we’ll remember in Appalachia for a long, long time,” Justice said in a news release.5 “We’ve seen some really troubling images from our neighboring states, but there’s no question that Helene has left its mark here at home, as well.” At least 21 homes were reported damaged in Bluefield alone and thousands of residents were left without power for days.6

🏛️ After gaveling in last Monday, West Virginia lawmakers did approve a half-dozen supplemental appropriations measures. Still lingering in the ether in the 22 other bills, though, are measures to address child care7 and the governor’s marquee proposal: another 5% cut to personal income taxes. In the lead up to the special session, the latest numbers from state revenue officials are making some hesitate further on another tax cut.8 During Tuesday’s briefing with the statehouse press corps, the governor himself seemed to concede things might not go his way. “We ought to do five percent,” Justice said. “But if we do three [percent], great.”9

💸 As Gov. Justice angles for the 5% cut to West Virginia’s personal income tax, the finances of his business operations remain in the headlines. Prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice say nearly two dozen of his family-owned firms still owe more than half a million dollars in mine safety fines.10 Attorneys for the government made a filing in court last week, arguing the Justice companies failed to comply with an adjusted payment plan following years of back and forth over the debts.

🏛️ After a false start in recent weeks, Democrat and Huntington mayor Steve Williams and Republican state attorney general Patrick Morrisey have settled on a date to duke it out on stage in the race for governor. WVMetroNews will host the two on October 29 — exactly one week before the election — for a debate at Fairmont State University.11 This comes after plans for another showdown were canceled.

🗳️ Speaking of debates, candidates for West Virginia Senate’s 16th District squared off Tuesday evening. Incumbent Sen. Patricia Rucker (R-Jefferson) and former House member John Doyle, a Democrat from Jefferson County, met at the Byrd Center on the campus of Shepherd University to discuss a wide range of issues — from abortion rights to education.12 During the course of the election cycle, Rucker and Doyle had sought to debate civilly — and Tuesday’s event hosted by the Stubblefield Institute was part of the program’s “Year of Civility” effort running through the course of of the 2024-25 school year.13

🏕️ With Morgantown’s new ordinance banning camping in public places going into effect as of yesterday, opponents have been gathering signatures in recent weeks to get it repealed. The public camping ban, which comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that an Oregon town could enforce it’s own efforts to tamp down on homeless populations, has faced staunch criticism from advocacy groups and some local business owners in Morgantown. According to the city’s bylaws, any local ordinance can be appealed if 10% of the population — or about 1,300 residents — petition to overturn the effort.14

🚔 A city councilman in Buckhannon has been indicted by federal authorities on child pornography changes. 66-year-old David Walter McCauley was arrested Wednesday following the indictment that alleges he enticed a 17-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce photos and video.15

🗳️ And, finally, a bit of a public service announcement: The deadline to register to vote in West Virginia is drawing closer. The last day to register (either online, at your county clerk’s office or by mail) will be Tuesday, October 15. If you’re not registered to vote — or simply want to check your status — you can log on to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website.16 So go do some democracy, you’ll feel good about it!

What we’re reading: Opinion and anything else that gets our attention

OP-ED: West Virginia’s abused children need a champion. Maybe the next governor will be that person ~ LeeAnn Ray, West Virginia Watch
OP-ED: Revenue numbers do not help Governor Justice with his tax cut plan ~ Hoppy Kercheval, WVMetroNews
COLUMN: Food donations make a difference ~ Christina Meyer, The Parkersburg News & Sentinel

The West Virginia ... Weakly

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