The Legislature rolls on, Marshall students protest DEI rollbacks and foster care is scrutinized in court

The West Virginia Weakly Reader for Saturday, March 1, 2025

Welcome to March.

February may be the shortest month, but it can feel exceptionally long and brutal. The past few weeks have felt a bit encouraging, though, with the temperatures rising consistently into the 50s.

All this is good news as the West Virginia Legislature continues to roll along. Come Monday, the 60-day session will be a third of the way to the finish line — so why not have some nice weather to go along with all the legislating and a milestone?

Chances are, if you’ve opened up this morning’s Weakly Reader, you’ve been following along with the goings-on in Charleston. Whether that’s your draw — or general news around West Virginia — thanks for hopping on the ride with 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.

⛈️ After nine days of waiting, President Donald Trump made a major disaster declaration for southern West Virginia — but only for four counties. In a news release issued Wednesday, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Trump declared a disaster for McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, and Wyoming counties.¹ Morrisey says other counties in his request to the Trump Administration still remain under consideration by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The governor said Friday he expects more counties to be added to the declaration. “This is a long-term process that just doesn’t end because we have four counties,” Morrisey said during his Friday media briefing at the state capitol. “I think there’ll be more and I think they’ll be positive decisions.”²

🏥 Gov. Morrisey is hopeful that some sort of repeal of the state’s Certificate of Need policy will be approved by lawmakers this session. Morrisey said in a Friday news conference that he expects to see “a lot more activity” on the effort. Certificate of Need is a regulatory process, overseen by the West Virginia Health Care Authority, that requires providers looking to create or expand health care services to receive a legal document stating the new services fill a need. Morrisey said there are still “really good policies” that are being looked at, acknowledging the Legislature’s final product may not be exactly what he’s been hoping for.³ A repeal of the Certificate of Need died in the House Health Committee after it was voted down following five hours of debate. A Senate version of the effort is in the hands of the upper chamber’s Health Committee, but has not yet been taken up.

👨‍🏭 Speaking of the Senate side of the West Virginia Capitol, lawmakers approved Friday a measure that repeals a work permit requirement for 14-and-15-year-olds.⁴ SB 427 cleared the Senate on a 33-0 vote. Should the bill become law, employers seeking to hire teenagers would be required to obtain an age certificate verifying the child’s age from the state Division of Labor and written consent from a parent or guardian.

👩‍⚖️ A circuit court judge has ordered a monitor be put in place for West Virginia’s foster care children who are placed in hotels and camps. Circuit Court Judge Maryclaire Akers said the West Virginia Department of Human Services will be under an “improvement period” for a year, which will be overseen by the state Supreme Court’s children’s services division director.⁵ Akers’ order comes after a 12-year-old boy in state care attempted suicide in a hotel last week — three days after an unsuccessful foster care placement. “What we cannot have are continued failures of that magnitude,” Akers said.

🏳️‍🌈 Students at Marshall University and others in the wider Huntington community held a protest Thursday⁶ to take a stand against bans on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.⁷ The potential dissolution of those programs — at Marshall and at other state agencies and institutions — came as a result of an executive order from Gov. Morrisey shortly after his inauguration in January. During Thursday’s protest, participants chanted “DEI until I die!” and other slogans. Marshall spokesperson Leah Payne says any changes to the university’s DEI programs are still pending. “No action has been taken yet on the DEI executive orders,” Payne said. “We reached out to the governor’s office for clarification on a multitude of items. To my knowledge, there have been no changes yet, although we are working toward compliance, and changes are expected in the coming weeks.”

🔋 The head of First Energy said the power company plans to replace coal as its energy source with natural gas. During a presentation on the company’s fourth quarter earnings Thursday, CEO Brian Tierney announced the plan would be submitted to the West Virginia Public Service Commission this year and said the new power plants would cost about $4 billion to $6 billion.⁸

✈️ Yeager Airport in Charleston is primed for more renovations at its terminal through a $800,000 grant. The airport’s board approved the funds this week through a grant from the West Virginia Water Development Authority.⁹

---

What we’re reading: Opinion and whatnot

• COMMENTARY: The chainsaw effect in West Virginia ~ Hoppy Kercheval, WVMetroNews

• EDITORIAL: Health Care: Certificate of need program is necessary ~ The Parkersburg News & Sentinel

• The state where Democrats have hit rock bottom ~ Ry Rivard, Politico

1. West Virginia receives major disaster declaration from President Trump ~ News Release, Office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey

2. Morrisey: Flood recovery is a process ~ Jeff Jenkins, WVMetroNews

3. Morrisey hopeful for CON repeal in WV, denies claims that he tried to ‘force’ votes in committee ~ Caity Coyne, West Virginia Watch

4. WV Senate passes bill repealing work permit for 14- and 15-year-olds, bill now moves to House ~ Lori Kersey, West Virginia Watch

5. A West Virginia judge orders monitor for foster kids in hotels as another dismisses a federal suit ~ Leah Willingham, The Associated Press

6. MU Students Protest Expected DEI Cuts ~ Randy Yohe, West Virginia Public Broadcasting

7. Marshall students, community take a stand on DEI bans ~ Baylee Parsons, The Huntington Herald-Dispatch

8. First Energy CEO Says Gas Will Replace Mon Power Coal Plants ~ Curtis Tate, West Virginia Public Broadcasting

9. Yeager Airport continues major terminal development project through $800,000 Economic Enhancement Grant ~ Katherine Skeldon, WVMetroNews