West Virginia Political News
W.Va.s U.S. House incumbents outraise opponents
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginias three incumbent members of Congress all raised significant amounts of money by the end of 2011, much more than their opponents, according to reports they filed with the Federal Election Commission by Jan. 31. Each o...
Sunday February 5, 2012 12:26AM | com
Proposal would expand W.Va. House public hearings
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginias House of Delegates is considering a proposal that would change the way it holds public hearings on pending legislation.The House now allows anyone to request a hearing for a bill if its on the agenda of a committe...
Saturday February 4, 2012 4:24PM | com
Legislature holding mine safety hearings
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia lawmakers plan to keep the deadly Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in focus as they consider pending safety legislation.The House and Senate Judiciary committees have scheduled information hearings for Monday and Tu...
Saturday February 4, 2012 4:20PM | com
W.Va. National Guard dodges big DOD cuts
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Changes announced by the Pentagon on Friday left West Virginia Army and Air National Guard units relatively unscathed, according to Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer, West Virginias adjutant general. "In the broader sense of whats...
Saturday February 4, 2012 2:40AM | com
Hiring surges in January; jobless rate is 8.3%
WASHINGTON -- In a long-awaited surge of hiring, companies added 243,000 jobs in January -- across the economy, up and down the pay scale and far more than just about anyone expected. Unemployment slid to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years. The jo...
Saturday February 4, 2012 2:36AM | com
Firefighter wage dispute freezes Charleston budget
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Charleston officials say they cannot move ahead with their next budget until a dispute involving a new firefighter wage formula -- one that eliminates an old policy that has forced the city to unnecessarily pay more than $4.5 milli...
Saturday February 4, 2012 2:33AM | com
OPEB liability bill still on Legislature fast track
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Legislation to pay down a $5 billion unfunded liability for cost of future retiree health-care benefits for state and public school employees could be headed to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin for his signature by Thursday. In an afternoon ...
Saturday February 4, 2012 2:32AM | com
Cracker tax break could cost locality $300 million
Read the report CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A tax break that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin rushed through the Legislature to try to lure a natural gas "cracker" plant to West Vir...
Saturday February 4, 2012 1:07AM | com
White Sulphur Springs mayor reinstated
LEWISBURG, W.Va. -- Thomas Taylor has been reinstated as mayor of White Sulphur Springs, capping off a months-long ordeal. Media outlets report that Greenbrier Chief Cir...
Saturday February 4, 2012 12:53AM | com
Human trafficking bill takes shape
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Taking a passport or other identifying documents to coerce a person to work would be illegal under a human trafficking bill being considered by the House of Delegates.
Saturday February 4, 2012 12:51AM | com
Dem. candidate commits $1M to justice bid
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Democrat running for West Virginias Supreme Court is pledging $1 million from her personal wealth toward her primary campaign. Candidate Tish Chafin i...
Saturday February 4, 2012 12:47AM | com
W.Va. considers restrictions on wild pets
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia has joined a string of states looking to regulate or ban exotic animals kept as pets following the release of dozens of wild animals in an Ohio town last year. The Senate introduced a bill this week that would requ...
Saturday February 4, 2012 12:44AM | com
Jay asks Obama for more natural gas support
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., wrote to President Obama earlier this week, asking him to continue the support of natural gas development that the president mentioned during his State of the Union address.
Friday February 3, 2012 11:26PM | com
Who lobbies on Keystone pipeline.
Bob KingPolitico ContributorIt’s no surprise that oil companies, labor unions, environmental groups and an association of pipe manufacturers would want to lobby Congress about the Keystone XL pipeline. But...
Friday February 3, 2012 12:53PM | com
Low-income GOP: Do more for poor
MJ LeePolitico ContributorA significant portion of low-income Republicans might not embrace Mitt Romney’s comment this week that he is “not concerned about the very poor” because they have gover...
Friday February 3, 2012 11:55AM | com
Obama proposes $6B in aid for vets
Jennifer EpsteinPolitico ContributorPresident Barack Obama on Friday will ramp up his efforts to help unemployed veterans find jobs by calling for $6 billion in spending aimed at service members returning home fr...
Friday February 3, 2012 5:00AM | com
Lincoln commissioner in question attends meeting over telephone
HAMLIN, W.Va. -- Lincoln County Commissioner Thomas Ramey Jr. appears to be clinging to his seat despite a federal probe of voter fraud. Ramey did not even attend a regular meeting of the Lincoln County Commission on Thursday, instead calling in by ...
Friday February 3, 2012 3:33AM | com
State autism law in jeopardy, supporters warn
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginias new law extending health care coverage to children with autism may not do what its supporters intended, and a fight is brewing with insurers over pending legislation on the subject. The law passed last year aims to ...
Friday February 3, 2012 2:29AM | com
State cracker chase enters waiting phase
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginias hunt for a multibillion-dollar chemical plant has come down to talks between potential investors and private property owners, Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette said Thursday. Burdette told The Associated Press that the...
Friday February 3, 2012 1:38AM | com
County Facebook page features campaign ad
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper issued a memo reminding county employees not to campaign on county time or with county equipment after an employee posted an ad endorsing a specific candidate on the countys official Fac...
Friday February 3, 2012 1:00AM | com
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