Opinion

‘Raylee’s Law’ Must Return Next Year

Editorials

While “Raylee’s Law” ­— which protects children from abuse ­—shamefully died on the West Virginia House of Delegates floor on the last night of session, it’s good to see some local legislators vowing that it won’t be the last the bill is heard of in Charleston. The bill stops children suspected of being abused at home from being removed from public school and homeschooled. By the time the House took up the bill and passed it, the state Senate had already adjourned for the year. That led to some fiery responses from Northern Panhandle legislators, namely Del. Shawn ...

Final Thoughts On The Session

Local Columns

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 ...

Funding the Fundamentals In West Virginia In 2026

Local Columns

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 ...

Don’t Forget To Pay Personal Property Tax

Editorials

It’s that time of year again in West Virginia: personal property tax season. If you own vehicles and pay for a tax to the state for that privilege, take note: you only have slightly more than a week in which to pay those taxes to qualify for a credit on your 2026 taxes that you’ll pay next year. To qualify for the credit, taxes for the second half of 2025 (yes, it’s confusing)must be paid to your county sheriff’s tax office by April 1. This only pertains to individuals who paid their first-half taxes for 2026 by Oct. 1. If you paid the full year back in the fall, you’ve ...

It’s Time to Identify, Craft Wheeling’s Future

Editorials

For too long, conversations about Wheeling’s future have been overshadowed by what once was. The echoes of a proud commercial and industrial past have, at times, overshadowed the possibilities of what could be. But today, something is different — unmistakably different. There is momentum in Wheeling again. Not just talk or another plan from a consultant that ends up on a shelf gathering dust but tangible, visible progress. Consider: the nearly completed Downtown Streetscape project is perhaps the most obvious symbol of this change. Long-awaited improvements are reshaping the ...

Nothing Gained With Political Callousness

Letters to the Editor

Editor, News-Register: In 2015, I watched then-candidate Trump mock disabled reporter Serge Kovaleski. I naively thought such cruelty would be disqualifying for a Commander-in-Chief. I was wrong. Since then, we have witnessed a relentless tide: lie after lie, corruption, criminal conduct, and open misogyny. From the insurrection and the disparagement of our military to the dismantling of our Justice Department and the abdication of responsibility for climate change, the list is exhaustive. We have seen attacks on science, journalists, and judges, and citizens gunned down in plain ...