Local Columns

Americans Deserve Clearer Message On Iran War

The United States has joined Israel in opening a war with Iran. For the last half century, Iran has fomented destabilizing terror in the Middle East while violently suppressing voices of opposition by its own people. The world would be a safer place without the theocratic regime of Iran. But is that the goal? It is hard to know the mission because President Trump and his closest advisors have presented shifting narratives, sometimes in the same day, on why the United States is fighting. Regime change? A free Iran? Destruction of nuclear facilities? Elimination of Iran’s ballistic ...

Final Thoughts On The Session

Normally my column immediately after the end of the legislative session focuses on final thoughts, but I needed to write about the Raylee's Law debacle that occurred in the final hours on March 14. So, consider the following my 2026 legislative session final thoughts. --- If the budget bill this year was a staring contest between Gov. Patrick Morrisey and the Legislature, then Morrisey blinked first. Much has been made of the House of Delegates and the state Senate getting Senate Bill 250, setting the general revenue budget for fiscal year 2027 beginning on July 1, out the door far ...

Defeating Loneliness, One Precious Day at a Time

Several times in our life my wife and I had a beautiful experience of being foster parents. The first couple of times was to a beautiful 9-year-old girl. Then the next time it was a family of five. Then last time a family of two children. I did not know how old I had gotten until I tried to stay up with the kids. Our kids are in their 40s down to their 20s. Our youngest daughter and her husband are expecting our next grandchild now. I have gotten comfortable with grandparent duties, a few fun hours, then turn them back over to the real parents. I had forgotten the 24-hour care from ...

Funding the Fundamentals In West Virginia In 2026

For generations, West Virginians have believed in something simple: if you focus on the fundamentals, reward hard work, and let families keep more of what they earn, good things happen. That’s the approach we’ve taken in the Mountain State, and today we’re seeing real results. This year, working alongside the legislature, we secured major wins that will strengthen our economy, empower our families, and position West Virginia for long-term growth. Three of those victories stand out above the rest: cutting taxes, protecting educational freedom, and unleashing our energy ...

Beware The Ides Of March

William Shakespeare gave us one of the great lines with the warning to Julius Caesar to "beware the ides of March." But that warning should have been given to the House of Delegates a few hours earlier Saturday on the final day of the 2026 legislative session. I'm referring to the trainwreck of parliamentary procedure and calendar management regarding House Bill 5537, the bill that became the vehicle for this year's version of Raylee's Law to help protect children when they're parents or guardians try to pull them from public school while under CPS investigation. The state ...

Let’s Power Up West Virginia Manufacturers

Walk into any home in West Virginia, and you will find something locally made, from kitchen cabinets to car parts to cat litter, and lots more. These products are part of everyday life, just like the paychecks earned in the making of these products. All these products and jobs face a challenge: Having adequate, reliable and affordable electric power to run our manufacturing plants in the near future. Regardless of size, it is a real concern for companies that make products that we use every day, ship around the world, and contribute to the Mountain State’s economy. There is a lot ...