Author: Emily Allen

W.Va. House Passes Bills to Fund Education Omnibus

The West Virginia Legislature has passed three bills that would provide additional funding for education. The measures were outlined in a controversial education omnibus approved in June.

The legislation appropriates funding for a list of provisions found within House Bill 206, the lengthy and controversial education overhaul measure pushed by the Republican-led legislature and signed by Gov. Jim Justice. 

House Bill 206 most notably allows the state to open its first three charter schools ever, upon approval from county boards of education. 

Senate Bill 1056 addressed the bill’s more widely accepted provisions, including scheduled teacher pay bumps, increased student support staff, assistance for counties with small enrollment and allocates money that teachers can spend on classroom supplies. 

The proposal allots more than $60.7 million in additional funding than what was in the fiscal year 2020 state budget for education spending.

Senate Bill 1057 puts more than $2 million toward an attendance bonus for educators, while Senate Bill 1058 appropriates $300,000 toward a college scholarship program for those who want to become teachers. 

Senate Bills 1056 and 1057 passed 88-1 with 11 members absent or not voting. Senate Bill 1058 passed 87-2. 

Republican Del. Pat McGeehan voted against all three bills to amend the legislative spending, calling the items “unsustainable” in his comments before voting on SB 1056.  

“We really have to watch what we’re spending down here,” McGeehan said. “These surpluses that we have seen are simply unsustainable.”

The three bills now move to Justice’s desk for approval.

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.

West Virginians Join Global Demonstration Against Detention Camps, Abuse in Immigration System

As Ryan Brown stood outside the West Virginia Capitol Buidling on a breezy Friday evening, her husband Ali was in Guinea, the neighboring country to…

As Ryan Brown stood outside the West Virginia Capitol Buidling on a breezy Friday evening, her husband Ali was in Guinea, the neighboring country to Sierra Leone where Ali’s originally from. 

 

 

Brown and Ali were married for seven years when he was deported to Sierra Leone in 2017. He fled the country years before when he first arrived to the United States in 1999, seeking asylum from civil war. 

Ali spent a decade appealing the U.S. government’s decision to deny his request for asylum, a process that Brown said cost the couple thousands of dollars. He then spent a year in an immigration detention center, where Brown said he was denied some meals, access to a clean mattress and time outside.

Two years later and still apart, Brown shared her and Ali’s story at a candlelight vigil, protesting human detention camps and abuse in the U.S. immigration system. 

“With everything that’s been going on in our country, I felt very helpless right now, because I felt there was nothing I could do for him,” Brown said of Ali. “The only thing I felt like I could do was to share this story, so that other people know (these) issues with immigration are tearing families apart right within their own communities.”

The event in Charleston was one of at least 700 planned events across the globe Friday night, according to Lights for Liberty, the organization responsible for the demonstrations. The Charleston event was held in partnership with the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, an environmental justice group based in West Virginia. Four other events were slated for the state in Morgantown, Huntington, Charles Town and Beckley. 

The vigils occurred before a series of raids by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement are expected to begin Sunday.President Trump confirmed reports of the plan on Friday to detain and deport thousands of people accused of remaining in the U.S. illegally. Most of those deportations are expected in major cities. 

According to Joseph Cohen, the executive director of ACLU West Virginia, the state already has an unusually high number of ICE arrests for one of the smallest immigrant populations in the country. 

 

“Immigrants here in West Virginia feel as if they are under attack,” Cohen told vigil attendees. “And make no mistake, they are under attack — even though we have one of the smallest immigrant populations in the country, West Virginia’s immigrant communities are terrorized by ICE, and in some ways like nowhere else in this country.” 

Recent data Cohen said his office had received on ICE arrests shows some immigrants are 7.7 times more likely to be arrested in West Virginia than anywhere else in the country.

 

Cohen urged the crowd to address misperceptions of immigrants in their communities.

“We can talk to our friends. We can talk to our neighbors, who are ignorant, and we can educate them,” Cohen said. “When you hear a false, negative stereotype about immigrants, challenge it and correct the misinformation.”

Jackie Lozano spoke on Friday about her process applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals after its creation under the Obama administration in 2012. The program allowed children who entered the country with their families at a young age to apply for permits allowing them to legally live and work in the U.S. 

“We were kids that were brought to the United States as young children and have been here our whole lives,” Lozano said. “We have the American heart.”

Lozano was born in Mexico and entered the U.S. with her mother at a very young age, she said — so young that she couldn’t recall the journey, and she didn’t realize she was from Mexico until she was in high school.

“Being a mother, I understand that I would do anything to make sure that my child is safe, and that he is protected and that he’s healthy,” Lozano said. “I would cross any border, I would cross any desert, to make sure my child could live.”

In addition to highlighting issues faced by immigrants in West Virginia, the Charleston vigil on Friday highlighted Charleston’s diversity, which event organizers said was thanks to its immigrants. 

This was emphasized by a recital of Emma Lazarus’s poem “The New Colossus” in six languages. That poem is included on the Statue of Liberty.

 

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.

West Virginians Advised to Watch Out for Hurricanes

State authorities are urging West Virginians to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, even if they’re miles away from the nearest coastline. 

During hurricanes, West Virginia often bears the brunt of heavy rainfall, flash flooding, powerful winds, tornadoes and landslides, according to a press release from the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. 

On Thursday, July 11, the division advised residents to watch out for a tropical storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico that the National Hurricane Center said will become a hurricane by late Friday.

The most recent outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration anticipates nine to 15 named storms in the Atlantic basin hurricane season this year. Four to eight are likely to become hurricanes, with two to four becoming major hurricanes. 

The first named storm of the 2019 season, Subtropical Storm Andrea, formed May 20 and dissipated the following day, the division said. Tropical Storm Barry is developing in the Gulf of Mexico now. 

The rest of the names for the 2019 season are Chantal, Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastian, Tanya, Van and Wendy. 

In a statement from the division, Director Mike Todorovich said his group and others working for the state “stand ready to respond” to hurricanes and tropical storms. 

“Our greatest priority is keeping our fellow West Virginians safe and being ready to respond and mobilize state assets when needed,” Todorovich said. 

National Weather Service Issues Flood Watches, Warnings 

Credit National Weather Service
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The National Weather Service in Charleston and Pittsburgh also issued a flash flood watch for West Virginia counties on Thursday. 

Both advisories will last until 8 p.m., Thursday, July 11. In many of these counties the ground is still saturated from recent rain storms, which could lead to faster flash flooding. 

The Charleston-issued watch encompasses Lewis, Harrison, Taylor, Upshur, Barbour, parts of Webster, Pocahontas and Randolph counties. 

The Pittsburgh-issued watch covers Brooke, Tucker, Hancock, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Ohio, Preston and Wetzel counties. 

Pittsburgh’s office issued a much more serious flash flood warning for central Preston county and northeastern West Virginia, lasting until 8:30 p.m. 

In a flash flood warning, the National Weather Service has deemed flooding imminent. During a flash flood watch, the National Weather Service reports there are favorable weather conditions for flooding.

Charleston’s flash flood warning applies to portions of Randolph, Lewis, Braxton, Upshur and Webster counties until 5:30 p.m.

Volunteers, National Guard Help with Flood Recovery in Eastern W.Va.

Local and state leaders are beginning to clear roadways in eastern West Virginia, where counties dealt with severe thunderstorms and flash flooding Saturday night. Volunteers and the state National Guard have been a big part of their recovery.

In Grant County, emergency management staff are handing out “flood buckets” that include cleaning supplies to anyone in need, courtesy of the West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), a state chapter of a larger nonprofit that responds to disasters nationwide. 

On Monday, Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency in Preston, Pendleton, Tucker, Randolph and Grant counties, authorizing the state National Guard to get involved where authorities deem necessary. 

Across the five affected counties, most emergency officials reported washed out culverts and basements.

The West Virginia Division of Highways said in a statement on Tuesday its maintenance crews and others are cleaning up debris and making road repairs where needed.

In Randolph County, 911 Director Cindy Hart said the local water and sewage plants were hit hard. As of Tuesday, water had been restored and leaks had been fixed in the Harman area, Hard said. The sewage plant still needs repairs.

The National Guard spent Tuesday removing debris from Harman School, according to a statement from the group that afternoon. The county has received $1.2 million from the School Building Authority for renovations at the school since 2016, as the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports, following a ceiling collapse in 2014.

The National Guard has set up two stations in Randolph County for potable water on Job Road and the Randolph County Senior Center in Harman, where Hart said volunteers were also handing out hot meals and bottled water.

Access to the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center at the Monongahela National Forest in Elkins is limited due to water damage and mud in the parking lot, according to a statement on Monday from staff. 

Tyrand Parish in Randolph County and the West Virginia VOAD are accepting cash donations and cleaning supplies to offset recovery costs. 

 

Justice Signs Sweeping Education Bill

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed an omnibus education reform bill] on Friday, June 28, that will lead to the state’s first charter schools.

House Bill 206 allows for three charter schools in the 2021-2022 academic year, with approval from the charters’ respective county boards of education. The bill allows for three more charters every three years, beginning in 2023.

The legislation also entails a 5 percent raise for public school employees. A bulletin on Friday from the Senate Finance Committee said most of that roughly $67 million increase has been set aside in the budget for Fiscal Year 2020. 

Education reform has been at the crux of the state’s most recent regular session and a special session called by Justice in March, after the original omnibus measure from the Senate failed.

Teachers and service personnel from schools statewide have gathered at the Capitol on several occasions this year to protest charters and other aspects of the omnibus bills they disagreed with, including education savings accounts and anti-strike language that would penalize public school workers for protesting. 

Justice didn’t hold any public bill-signing events Friday, issuing a press release instead. 

“Looking at the bill in its entirety – with all of its many, many great pieces that help our children and our teachers – there is truly so much good that will benefit teachers, students, and all West Virginians,” Justice said in Friday’s statement. “I am really pleased with where we got to at the end of the day and I commend the Senate and the House for working with me to come to a compromise that will result in a big win for the entire education community and all West Virginians.”

HB 206 passed the Senate 18-16 on Monday and the House 51-47 on June 19.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

W.Va. Senate Passes Controversial Education Omnibus on 18-16 Vote, Measure Heads to Gov. Justice

Despite tornado warnings and a brief recess in which lawmakers and the public were evacuated downstairs at the Capitol, the West Virginia Senate voted Monday to pass a controversial omnibus bill that could most notably lead to the state’s first charter schools. Senators fast-tracked the bill by suspending rules that would normally require they read the bill three times on three separate days. 

 

Under House Bill 206, teacher and school service personnel will receive pay raises. Three charter schools could be established — only by county boards of education — to begin operating in the 2021-2022 academic year with the possibility of three additional charters allowed every three years beginning in 2023.

 

The Senate passed House Bill 206 18-16. Sen. Bill Hamilton, R-Upshur, and Sen. Kenny Mann, R-Monroe, joined Democrats to oppose the measure.

 

The upper chamber voted 32-1 to suspend the Senate’s three-day rule. Sen. John Unger, D-Berkeley, was the lone no vote and Sen. Randy Smith, R-Tucker, was absent for the procedural vote that fast-tracked the bill to a Monday vote.

 

A small number of people sat in the galleries Monday night, and only a few were waiting outside the chamber shortly before senators gaveled in around 5 p.m. The size of the crowd was significantly smaller than other groups that gathered at the Capitol to oppose the bill over the past few months.

 

Senate Democrats Fail to Get Support for Amendments

 

Before Senators returned to Charleston for Monday’s session, Carmichael said he wanted to pass the bill as it came over from the House.

 

However, minority Democrats still tried, but failed, to wipe out charter schools from the bill and implement other changes.

 

Sen. Hamilton again tried to force counties to hold a referendum to allow for the authorization of a charter school. That proposed amendment also failed.

 

West Virginia’s Education ‘Betterment’: Months in the Making

 

The debate over education reform in West Virginia has festered for months. 

 

Teachers went on strike for two days in February as they rallied against Senate Bill 451, the original omnibus measure that ultimately failed in the House during the Legislature’s regular 60-day session.

 

Republican Gov. Jim Justice called the special session on “education betterment” in March after lawmakers were unable to agree upon education reform, despite earmarking the pay raises in the FY 2021 state budget.

 

While voting on the similar omnibus Senate Bill 1039 for education in early June, Democrats refused to suspend the rules before passing it 18-16. The House of Delegates balked on Senate Bill 1039 and Senate Bill 1040, another measure that would have established a voucher program for public dollars to be spent on some aspects of private education.

 

House Creates Its Own Omnibus

 

The House of Delegates cleared House Bill 206 last week on a 57-47 vote after making their way through dozens of amendments. Lawmakers in the lower chamber spent nine hours debating the controversial measure.

 

Some significant changes did occur in the lower chamber as delegates made their way through the amendment process. With House Bill 206 originally calling for a cap of ten charter schools, delegates chose instead to temporarily set that limit at three. Lawmakers also added a back-to-school tax credit to be applied to the purchase of clothes and school supplies. 

 

The House also avoided addressing the rights of school employees to strike and protest, whereas the Senate had amended its bill to include anti-strike provisions that would allow schools to withhold pay or fire employees who strike. 

 

With no changes made in the Senate, House Bill 206 will soon head to the governor’s desk for a signature. Gov. Justice, who had in the past said he opposed charter schools, has said he will sign the bill.

 

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