'Steve's our guy,' but is he? And a bitter end to this week's special legislative session
The West Virginia Weakly Reader for Saturday, May 25, 2024
The editorial board here at The West Virginia Weakly decided to try something new today — a ‘Quote of the Week’ feature.
Thing is, we couldn’t decide between what U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said when he was asked about rumors that he’s been approached to replace Huntington Mayor Steve Williams on the Democratic ticket for governor this November and the reaction of House Health Chair Amy Summers (R-Taylor) when the state Senate essentially took the ball and went home, forcing the House to agree to its position on restoring millions of dollars in funding aimed at helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Manchin said “Steve’s our guy” but he also didn’t explicitly rule out another run for governor.
Just about every account I read about the upshot over IDD funding quoted Summers as saying, “While I don’t think this is the best path forward, I think it’s the path we need to take.”
As we say in the radio news business, those are the “money” cuts — the actuality we would use in a newscast. But we can’t decide which one is the lede.
Help us out.
Take our poll.
And maybe tell us why you voted the way you did.
Read on for more on Manchin’s remarks and also the acrimony that marked the end of this week’s special legislative session aimed mostly at restoring funding at the state Department of Human Services after lawmakers passed a “skinny” budget during the regular session over fears that the U.S. Department of Education would try to clawback $465 million in federal Covid-19 dollars. The Education Department granted a waiver last month.
First, though, we’ve hit a milestone. We FINALLY turned on paid subscriptions. The Saturday Reader remains free to all subscribers. We think it alone is worth handing over your email address. It’s our flagship offering at the moment. But in the future, posts like Dave’s Wednesday Extra focusing on outgoing Sen. Mike Caputo (D-Marion) will only be available to paid subscribers.
Follow the link.
Check out Dave’s Caputo profile.
And thanks for sticking around.
The West Virginia Weakly Reader
🏛️ This week’s special legislative session ended in acrimony when the state Senate adjourned forcing the House to accept the Senate’s version of an IDD funding bill and sparking one of our potential ‘qoutes of the week’ from House Health Chair Amy Summers (R-Taylor). She on went to say that “we don’t want everyone to suffer by not advancing the funding.” Summers led House efforts to include oversight into how the state Department of Human Services spends some of the more than $180 million lawmakers were about to put into a new reserve fund. She wanted to ensure the Department spent the money on IDD programs. Lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol have trust issues with DoHS spending but they couldn’t agree on how much transparency to build into the bill. Ultimately, the Senate got its way after rejecting Summers amendment in favor of its plan that does not mandate how the money is spent but requires a monthly report on any transfers from the reserve fund. The House initially refused to accept the move, but when the Senate adjourned sine die, delegates were forced to swallow a bitter pill.1
🎓 IDD funding was just one of 15 issues on Governor Justice’s call for the special session. Lawmakers approved all of them, including a bill that addresses delays in FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Justice declared a state of emergency last month because of the troubled rollout of a new federal student aid application. Lawmakers addressed the crisis by approving $83 million dollars for higher education.2 Top education officials including West Virginia University President Gordon Gee are applauding the move.3 The Legislature also approved the $50 million Governor Justice asked for in his State of the State address in January to establish an agricultural lab at West Virginia State University.4
📜 While lawmakers were meeting in special session this week, Huntington Mayor and Democratic candidate for governor Steve Williams dropped by the House chamber to deliver his petition for a ballot measure this November on reproductive rights. He wants West Virginians to vote on the issue and says more than 2,500 have signed onto the effort.5 6 Voters in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont, and Ohio have approved similar ballot measures reinstating abortion rights following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
🗳️ Williams also sought to dispel rumors that outgoing U.S. Senator Joe Manchin is being recruited to run for governor, either as an independent or replacing Williams on the Democratic ticket. Williams told state Capitol reporters that there’s no truth to them. WVMetroNews reported this week that multiple West Virginia Republicans dissatisfied with the nomination of Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are urging Manchin to enter the race.7 Likely on cue, former president Donald Trump sought to circle the wagons around Morrisey. On his Truth Social platform early Tuesday, he urged West Virginia Republicans to get behind Morrisey “to ensure he has a tremendous Victory in November!” 8 Manchin had the chance to quash the rumors this week, but when he was asked about the situation by national reporters in Washington, D.C. he didn’t take it, although he did say “Steve’s our guy,” our potential quote of the week.9 Manchin bested Morrisey by three percentage points in the 2018 election for his Senate seat.
🫡 The special legislative session was held this week alongside interim committee meetings. Lawmakers on a legislative oversight committee heard from state Corrections Commissioner Billy Marshall, who announced that National Guard troops are no longer needed to help relieve a staffing crisis at state jails and prisons.10 Governor Justice has lifted the state of emergency he put in place in 2022 because of staffing shortages.11
⚖️ The Justice Administration is coming under pressure from disability advocates over the death of a 14-year-old Boone County girl. The group Disability Rights West Virginia is taking steps toward filing a lawsuit for more information about the girl’s death. She was found in “a skeletal state.” The group’s legal director told WVMetroNews this week that “For years, they (the state) have withheld information that’s otherwise required to be disclosed to the public according to federal law.12 During his virtual briefing on Friday, Governor Justice said an investigation will determine if authorities could have done more in the girl’s case. Her mother and two grandparents have been charged in her death.
🛟 Federal resources are now available to those affected by last month’s flooding in the Northern Panhandle. President Biden signed a disaster declaration this week. On April 5, the Ohio River at Wheeling crested at nearly 41-and-a-half feet, the highest since 2005.13 Biden has also approved disaster relief for victims of the April 2 storms and tornadoes.14
⛏️ United Mine Workers of America international president Cecil Roberts and other miners’ advocates were on Capitol Hill Wednesday to push for better protections against the most progressive and debilitating form of Black Lung disease.15 But, as Mike Tony of the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports, Republican members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation have not expressed support for the bill that would tie Black Lung benefits to the Consumer Price Index to account for cost of living increases. Democrat Joe Manchin has backed the measure, though. Discussion of the legislation in the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions subcommittee comes as recent research shows the most advanced form of Black lung has become more prominent among Appalachian coal miners.
🎥 Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has died. Born in Parkersburg and raised in Beckley, Spurlock is best known for eating nothing but what was on the McDonald’s fast food menu for thirty days for his Oscar-nominated 2004 film “Super Size Me.” He was 53. A family statement says Spurlock died of cancer in New York on Thursday. 16
🗞️ Condolences to our fellow news-gatherers at the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Former longtime sportswriter Danny Wells died Tuesday at age 84. Wells spent some 40 years at the Gazette. After he retired in 2001, he began a second career as a politician — serving ten years in the West Virginia House of Delegates as a Kanawha County Democrat beginning in 2004.17 On Friday, the Gazette-Mail published a tribute to Wells, written by a former colleague.18
🎻 Looking for something to do this Memorial Day weekend? The annual Vandalia Gathering runs through Monday on the grounds of the state capitol. Find the schedule of events on the Gathering’s website.19
📚 Pencil in this fall’s West Virginia Book Festival. It’s to be held Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. Organizers have unveiled the writers who are to appear, including best-selling authors, Gregg Hurwitz and Sadeqa Johnson and National Book Award finalist Gene Leun Yang.20
🔓 From the WV Weakly News Vault: It would really be bad form of us if we failed to highlight the death of Jim Comstock 28 years ago this week. After all, we drew inspiration from his old humor newspaper The West Virginia Hillbilly. It was a “Weakly Publication” — said so on the paper’s masthead. Comstock died in Huntington on May 22, 1996. His New York Times obituary called him a “homespun humorist” and detailed a few of the pranks he pulled off.21
❓ Trivia question: Who was West Virginia’s longest serving congressman and how long did he serve? Slip your answer into the comments. A correct response won’t win you anything, except maybe Dave’s admiration.
Everyone’s got one - opinion from around West Virginia
Crucial Matter ~ The Journal (Martinsburg) on childcare, an issue not on Governor Justice’s call for the special session.
Morrisey vs. Williams offers WV a choice of direction ~ The Williamson Daily News
House gives in to Senate on disabilities funding ~ Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
West Virginia lawmakers approve funding to support students due to FAFSA delays ~ Leah Willingham, The Associated Press
Gee and other officials praise millions of dollars dedicated to relief for student financial aid ~ Brad McElhinny, WV MetroNews
Legislature approved $50 million appropriation for WVSU agricultural laboratory ~ Kristofer Plona, WCHS-TV
Gubernatorial candidate Williams presents ‘reproductive freedom’ resolution to lawmakers ~ Lory Kersey, West Virginia Watch
Sources: Manchin is being encouraged to hop into governor’s race against Morissey ~ Brad McElhinny, WVMetroNews
Justice says investigation of 14-year-old’s death needs to play out ~ Brad McElhinny, WVMetroNews
Biden makes disaster declaration for April WV flooding ~ The Wheeling Intelligencer
White House approves individual disaster assistance for West Virginia tornado victims ~ Carrie Hodousek, WVMetroNews
Miner advocates urge black lung benefit improvements not backed by WV legislators ~ Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Man who took on fast food industry dies at 53 ~ Associated Press, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Danny Wells, former Charleston Gazette sportswriter, WV delegate, dies at 84 ~ Rick Steelhammer, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Rick Ryan: Danny Wells unique in approach to sports writing, editing ~ Rick Ryan, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Authors announced for 2024 West Virginia Book Festival ~ Hannah Heiskell, The Charleston Gazette-Mail
James Comstock, 85, West Virginia Publisher ~ Lawrence Van Gelder, The New York Times
The media need to stop quoting Manchin. Period. He blathers for the attention. And when he blathers, the media respond like Pavlov’s dogs.
I prefer...."More Bloodlettting in WV" -