Breaking News

Editorial

Sunshine Week is over but our work isn’t

Sunshine Week — a celebration of access to public, particularly government, information — ended yesterday. Most years, we would have highlighted Sunshine Week either before it started or while it was going on. However, we were so busy doing the work of illuminating government activity that we didn’t have the time to celebrate the work.   Sunshine Week is structured around Freedom of Information Day, which falls on or near James Madison’s March 16 birthday. (Of the Founding Fathers, Madison is thought to have fought hardest for government transparency.)   News ...

The Good, the Bad and the Stupid 10

For today’s edition of The Good, the Bad and the Stupid,” we’re going to look at a handful of bills that we consider to be mixed bags: They have both good and bad aspects, and a few have some stupid provisions. In other words, these bills are complicated.  ○ SB 268, relating to PEIA. This bill basically became the catchall for various proposals related to the Public Employee Insurance Agency. The least controversial aspect of the bill is its increased reimbursement rate to 110% of what Medicare pays medical providers. The more controversial aspects of the bill included ...

The Good, the Bad and the Stupid 9

Some more bills that passed during the legislative session:   Good: SB 273, “to allocate and station child protective services workers by county based on population, referrals and average caseload” and to allow for locality pay. Our foster care system is in crisis — that’s been known for years now. There are multiple factors contributing to the problem, including a CPS worker shortage and an increase in the number of kids coming into foster care. SB 273 may only address one facet of the crisis, but it lays out concrete steps that can be followed instead of throwing down ...

The Good, the Bad and the Stupid 8

The West Virginia Legislature has finally wrapped up its regular legislative session. As we expected, the last few days were a marathon of chaos, with many bills just barely passing before deadline and several unexpectedly left behind in the dust.   The Editorial Board had more than 100 bills on its radar, and over the next few days, we’d like to discuss the fates of some of the bills we watched most closely. The following are all bills that passed the Legislature. Several are still awaiting Gov. Jim Justice’s signature.   Good: SB 577, to lower the insulin copay cap ...

The point where ethics and profits intersect

While the West Virginia Legislature debated making insulin more affordable, one pharmaceutical company surprisingly stepped up. On March 1, Eli Lilly announced it would limit monthly patient out-of-pocket costs to $35 or less for its most common insulins: its non-branded insulin starting in May; and brand-names Humalog (insulin lispro injection) and Humulin (insulin human injection) by the end of 2023. According to Lilly’s website, the $35 copay is in effect for certain pharmacies and people with private insurance. But Lilly admits “7 out of 10 Americans don’t use Lilly ...

3 trains derail per day. They shouldn’t

An empty CSX coal train derailed in Summers County Wednesday when it crashed into a landslide, injuring three crew members. Saturday, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Springfield, Ohio. Ironically, another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Calhoun County, Ala., yesterday, shortly before Norfolk Southern’s CEO began his testimony in front of Congress. Before the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, none of this would be news. According to the Bureau of Transportation, on average, there are more than 1,000 train derailments a year — roughly three every day. They ...