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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 ...

Conservative values cast aside, Congress wages war on ‘woke’

While we’ve been largely focused on what’s been happening in Charleston lately, we’ve also had our eye on Washington, D.C., and the culture war backlash happening there. Last week, Congress passed a joint resolution “disapproving” a Department of Labor rule that allows investment firms to take into consideration environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. The resolution, if signed into law, would reverse the rule and forbid investment firms from using non-monetary factors when crafting portfolios for investors — even if it’s what investors want. The House of ...

Lazy legislating the culture wars

Sifting through national commentaries lately, we’ve been struck by a sense of déjà vu. Syndicated columnists, editorial boards and less-frequent commentators are addressing many of the same political issues we’re seeing here in West Virginia: Bans on gender affirming care, drag shows, “critical race theory” and abortion, as well as pushes to crack down on nonexistent voter fraud and efforts to defund public education in the name of “school choice.” The similarities between what’s happening here and what’s happening in (particularly southern and red) states across ...