Local Columns

Drama Beneath the Gold Dome

Last week was an interesting start to the 2026 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature. In my previous column, I told you about the comments from former state Senate Finance Committee chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, when he told attendees of the West Virginia Press Association’s Legislative Lookahead on Jan. 9 that the Republican caucus in the state Senate had no consensus regarding a public policy agenda. Now, that seemed a bit crazy to me. I’m a former Senate communications staffer, working the last two years of the Democratic majority and first two years of the new ...

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy, Now More Than Ever

The following are remarks Vincent deGeorge has written in accepting an award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee. I am honored and humbled to be receiving recognition from our MLK Committee, and compelled by the weight & responsibility attached to the legacy of Rev. Dr. King to live into that legacy with these remarks. The Rev. Dr King’s legacy spans so many traditions, that are so needed today: In the tradition of faith, Rev. King spans Abraham, Moses, Jesus, so many saints and faithful to we people of faith today. In the tradition of thought, Dr. King, seeking truth, ...

The Hospital Factor in West Virginia’s Economic Future

As Chair of the West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA) Board of Trustees, I want to commend Governor Morrisey and the West Virginia Legislature for their leadership and focus on job growth and economic development as the legislative session begins. From my perspective, working at the intersection of healthcare delivery and economic development, these priorities directly support the sustainability of our healthcare system. That’s why I want to speak directly to West Virginia’s business leaders about why hospital sustainability must remain on the radar this session. The work being ...

Lions and Lambs of the Senate

The West Virginia Senate is losing two giants with the resignation of Senate President Pro Tempore Donna Boley, R-Pleasants, and the retirement at the end of 2026 of Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell. Boley, 90, has been a state senator since her appointment by the then-Gov. Arch Moore in 1985 and has remained there for 41 years and through 11 elections. She has been a force in West Virginia Republican politics and played a large role in slowly turning West Virginia into a red state. She’s the longest serving state senator in West Virginia history and at one point was ...

Let Coal and Free Markets Power the United States

When ordinary, hard-working men, women, and families invest their savings, they expect something simple and straightforward: that the people managing their money are focused on one thing, delivering the best possible returns. What they don’t expect is for those investments to become political footballs or ideological experiments, especially when those choices threaten the very industries that keep their communities alive. Yet that’s exactly what we’re seeing today. In November 2024, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and 11 other state officials filed a deeply misguided lawsuit ...

Helping U.S. Break Free From Government Dependence

Americans are the most generous people on Earth. Yet in Ohio and across the nation, well-intended government programs often trap our fellow citizens in poverty instead of providing a path to upward mobility. Current federal assistance laws create what’s known as a “benefits cliff.” This occurs when someone receiving public assistance loses a significant amount of support — or all of it —due to just a small increase in income. This system creates a perverse incentive to say no to a raise, promotion or extra hours, because saying yes could trigger a loss of benefits that can ...