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The hillbilly stereotype is frequently used to shame mountain people, but there are gentler versions, like Snuffy Smith, the long-running comic strip character. Snuffy Smith originally started out as a supporting character in his comic strip, which first launched in 1919 when Billy DeBeck created Barney Google. Artist Fred Lasswell was brought in during the ‘30s to create Snuffy Smith and his friends. And now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
House Bill 4001 was introduced on the first day of the session as the False Claims Act. However, opponents of the bill referred to it as the “sue-and-settle” bill.
The bill offers monetary compensation to whistleblowers who bring forward information regarding fraudulent claims made against the government. That is, if the case is successful.
Supporters of the bill claimed it would provide taxpayers protection from fraud while opponents claimed that it would only provide lawyers with plaintiffs.
The bill was approved by the Judiciary Committee twice as the bill was sent back after concerns from the business community arose.
On the House floor, debate began with delegates speaking both for and against the bill.
Delegate Paul Espinosa opposed the bill despite the changes because of the problems he felt it would cause.
“It’s still the same proposal that would make it more difficult if not impossible for small companies to do business in the state,” Espinosa said. “It’s still the same proposal that allows an accuser to peruse a newly created cause of action without first exhausting administrative remedies.”
Delegate Manchin supported the bill because they felt the success in other states could be translated to West Virginia.
“We have not had one of these states repeal their bill,” Manchin said. “If it were costing them more money than they are taking in, wouldn’t somebody have repealed it by now? Doesn’t that tell us its working?”
In the end, the majority determined the risks of the bill outweighed the reward as the bill was rejected by a vote of 42-55.
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The economy is everything we buy or sell and services we use. It can be a broad category and most of us struggle to understand what it all means. The show "Planet Money" from NPR dives into those topics and attempts to make sense of it. And now, the show has published a book called Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life. We speak with the author and one of the program's hosts.
"Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire" is a young adult novel set in Appalachia. Written by West Virginia native Don Martin, the book follows the story of a witch-in-training who uses her magic to help a forgotten mountain coal town. It was an instant New York Times bestseller after it was released last year. Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Martin about the book and his podcast "Head on Fire."
On this West Virginia Week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey vetoed 12 bills that made it through the legislative process. We also hear the latest in the battle over which vaccines are required for school attendance in the state. And, a growing interest in data centers has the attention of people around West Virginia – both for and against.
This week, having a very specific talent can lead to a dream job. It’s how cartoonist John Rose got his foot in the door to draw the comic strip Snuffy Smith. Also, there are dos and don’ts for treating poison ivy. And, a young, old-time musician wants to save her family’s lost ballads.
