The plan to contain PEIA costs gets a frosty reception

The West Virginia Weakly Reader for Saturday, November 23, 2024

Today’s WV Weakly is coming to you from our Martinsburg outpost, where it did not go unnoticed that West Virginians got a little bit of a preview this week of a couple of contentious issues that are sure to come up during Patrick Morrisey’s first legislative session as governor.

The session starts in a few short months, so … might as well start paying attention, right?

First, there are the proposed premium increases and benefit cuts being considered by the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board. The board held its sixth and final public hearing on the proposal Thursday night in Charleston. The penultimate hearing was held in Morgantown Tuesday night where more than 100 people turned out to express their dim views toward the proposal that will be handed off to the legislature to consider.

Also, West Virginia Watch reported this week on a renewed push by Republican lawmakers for exemptions to the state’s strict school vaccine laws.

Read on for more on both issues that lawmakers will face, but first a quick programming note: Unless something huge happens, Dave and I are going to take a break from newslettering next weekend. Seems a safe bet that the Thanksgiving holiday will make for a slow news week, so rather than trying to make something out of nothing we’re going to forgo our usual Saturday email and maybe go see a movie like normal people.

That doesn’t mean we won’t be in your inbox next week.

We’re cooking up something special for Thanksgiving Day.

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The WV Weakly Reader (sources cited in the footnotes)

☹️ December 5 is the next important date in the process to address the financial train wreck facing the Public Employees Insurance Agency. The PEIA Finance Board is to meet then to finalize its proposal to address rising costs after hearing from frustrated teachers and other public employees at six public hearings around the state. The final two hearings were held this week. In both Morgantown Tuesday night and in Charleston Thursday night, board members heard from people like Kathryn Dotson, a Kanawha County Schools Art Teacher. She was quoted by the Charleston Gazette-Mail as saying “this is contributing to the teacher shortage. This is contributing to people leaving the state of West Virginia.” The board’s director, Brian Cunningham, said during the three-hour-long Charleston hearing that the board doesn’t want to raise premiums but that there’s no other alternative. Teachers’ unions are calling on Governor-elect Morrisey and the legislature to put more money into PEIA.¹²

💉 As mentioned above, West Virginia Watch gave us a preview this week of the debate that’s likely coming during the regular legislative session over the state’s school vaccine laws.³ Depending on which side you’re on vaccines are either a personal liberty or a public safety issue. Gov. Justice heavily promoted Covid shots during the pandemic and came down on the public safety side when he vetoed such an exemption bill earlier this year, but — not for nothing — during his administrative briefing this week, the incoming U.S Senator appeared to waffle on their effectiveness when he expressed an open mind to President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s nomination to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.⁴

🐶 Just when I thought I could get away without mentioning Babydog, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported this week that the controversial Capitol Rotunda mural project is complete. Four new murals have been installed alongside the four that were dedicated on West Virginia Day this past June. The project almost immediately came under scrutiny after an image of Babydog was inexplicably included in one of the four original murals. A lawsuit against the installation is pending in Kanawha County Circuit Court.⁵

🤔 One of Gov. Justice’s companies is facing a lawsuit filed by the Trustees of the United Mine Workers Union health and retirement benefit plans. The Trustees allege that Justice Energy Company has underpaid contributions by nearly $160,000 and that more than $9,500 in interest is due. The lawsuit accuses Justice Energy of failing to living up to its obligations under a collective bargaining agreement. The suit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.⁶

🏠 I think we’ve been here before. A Justice family home at the Greenbrier Sporting Club is going on the block next month. A legal notice published by the West Virginia Daily News in Greenbrier County says a public auction is set for Dec. 9 at the Greenbrier County Courthouse.⁷ The Justices bought the home a few years ago from the late West Virginia basketball legend Jerry West.

😮 A mistrial was declared this week in West Virginia State University’s years-long legal battle to hold chemical companies accountable for contaminating groundwater beneath the school’s campus in Institute. A Kanawha County judge declared the mistrial Monday after the jury failed to reach a verdict. Mountain State Spotlight is reporting that a note from the jury’s foreman said “one of the jury members was confrontational, insulted another juror and considered evidence outside the case.”⁸

🏫 State schools superintendent Michele Blatt told WVMetroNews Talkline this week that she’s never seen so many school closures over her nearly 20 year career in the West Virginia public school system. She mentioned declining population and school choice options “that are kind of hitting at public education right now.” Blatt told the state Board of Education last week that 26 schools could potentially close this school year because of enrollment and funding issues.⁹ School closure and consolidation stories have been popping up regularly in newspapers in recent weeks.

🏈 The drama that delayed the state high school football playoffs is over. First round games started Friday after a court battle over a new playoff ratings formula imposed by the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission. On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the WVSSAC in a case brought by Wood County.¹⁰

🏕️ Morgantown City Council has decided to give voters the final say on a camping ban ordinance. Council members voted 4-3 Wednesday to put the issue on the ballot during a city election.¹¹ The council passed a camping ban in September but activists mounted a successful petition drive to either repeal it or have voters decide the issue.

⚖️ The long arm of the law has caught up with two former state corrections officers. Jonathan Walters and Corey Snyder each pleaded guilty this week to federal civil rights violations as part of their plea agreements in the March 2022 fatal beating death of 37-year-old Quantez Burks at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver. They each face up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Walters and Snyder were among six former correctional officers indicted in Burks death. Three others have also entered guilty pleas. Trial for the remaining defendant is set for Dec. 10.¹²

💰 Putnam County Commissioner Steve Deweese stepped down this week. His lawyer says Deweese has entered into a plea agreement following an investigation into the misappropriation of funds during his time as county sheriff. ¹³

😒 The mother of the self-proclaimed “Wolf of West Virginia” is scheduled to be sentenced in March after pleading guilty Thursday to aiding and abetting the sale and offer of unregistered securities. Federal prosecutors say 60-year-old Deanna L. Drumm faces a maximum of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. She also owes hundreds of thousands in restitution.¹⁴ Her son, Theodore Miller, was indicted on 15 counts in September, accused of using profanity-laced social media posts to run a real estate investment scam. Mother and son also face a civil suit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

⚽ Finally, the Marshall University Men’s Soccer team will be play Furman tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 23) in this year’s NCAA Tournament. MU is heading into this weekend seeded 13th after losing the Sun Belt tournament title last Sunday to West Virginia University. WVU won in dramatic fashion, in a penalty shootout after having also won the regular season Sun Belt crown. However, the Mountaineers were denied an NCAA tournament ranking. WVU won its first round game Thursday night against North Florida 2-1.¹⁵

What we’re reading: Opinion and whatnot

• Reporter’s notebook: Making changes ~ Steven Allen Adams, Parkersburg News and Sentinel

• EDITORIAL: When a rapist wears a badge ~ Charleston Gazette-Mail

• West Virginia votes passed constitutional amendment prohibiting assisted suicide, but the amendment won’t prevent the state from killing you ~ Eric Boehm, Reason

• COMMENTARY: What West Virginia needs is more West Virginians ~ Andrew Donaldson, West Virginia Watch and publisher of the Heard Tell Substack newsletter

• OPINION: Big changes needed in school funding ~ Roane County Schools Superintendent Richard Duncan, Charleston Gazette-Mail

• OPINION: WV Supreme Court finds there was no penalty on the playoffs ~ Hoppy Kercheval, WVMetroNews

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1. At Charleston event, PEIA Finance Board hears concerns from public workers, retirees ~ Katelyn Aluise, Charleston Gazette-Mail

2. More than 100 turn out to PEIA hearing to protest proposed changes ~ David Beard, The Dominion Post

3. School vaccine exemption bill expected in WV next year, face easier pathway with Morrisey ~ Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch

4. Justice, now hedging on vaccine effectiveness, says he’s open to RFK,Jr. as nation’s health chief ~ Brad McElhinny, WVMetroNews

5. 4 new murals installed in Capitol Rotunda, completing controversial project ~ Staff report ~ Charleston Gazette-Mail

6. UMWA benefit trustees say Justice company failed to support health, retirement plans ~ Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail

7. Notice of Trustee’s sale public auction Monday, December 9, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ~ West Virginia Daily News

8. WVSU case against Union Carbide declared a mistrial ~ Sarah Elbeshbishi, Mountain State Spotlight

9. State superintendent says wave of school consolidations is the highest number she has witnessed ~ Brad McElhinny, WVMetroNews

10. Supreme Court of Appeals of WV rules in favor of WVSSAC; original football ratings plan restored ~ Joe Brocato, WVMetroNews

11. Morgantown, WV camping ban to be decided by voters ~ Lori Kersey, West Virginia Watch

12. Justice Department press release

13. Putnam commissioner resigns amid investigation into fund misappropriation as sheriff ~ Leslie Rubin, WCHS-TV

14. Charleston woman pleads guilty to federal securities-related crime ~ press release, U.S. Attorneys office for the Southern District of West Virginia

15. Mountaineers pass first NCAA Tournament test, 2-1 over North Florida ~ Joe Brocato, WVMetroNews