On this West Virginia Week, homelessness in the southern coalfields, losing a dream job to federal cuts and the legislature looks at transgender rights and vaccine exemptions.
On this West Virginia Week, we hear from homeless people in the southern coalfields and their advocates about the unique challenges of being unhoused in a rural community.
Plus, leaders from the state legislature discuss issues in our schools including discipline, as well as proposed exemptions to the state’s school vaccine requirements
Also in this episode, a local woman grapples with losing her dream job in the recent federal cuts.
Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.
Members of the West Virginia Legislature moved to raise training standards for board members during last year’s legislative session, and are revisiting the topic at the State Capitol this year.
Under West Virginia Code, locally elected boards of education generally make decisions for schools in their counties, in lieu of state agencies. Members of the West Virginia Legislature moved to raise training standards for board members during last year’s legislative session, and are revisiting the topic at the State Capitol this year.
Senate Bill 284 is a near copy of a bill that the Senate passed in 2024 to improve training standards for school board members. However, the bill was superseded by a similar bill, House Bill 5514.
Senate Education Chair Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, told West Virginia Public Broadcasting the bill that passed omitted some requirements from the Senate bill. That included requirements for new board members to complete an orientation before being sworn in, plus focused training on fiscal responsibility and policy related to disabilities.
The Senate Education Committee heard from Jim Brown, executive director for the West Virginia School Board Association, at their meeting Thursday morning. He said the association had revamped their training schedule to better serve board members and more closely align with the legislature’s higher standards.
“Having worked in the system as a teacher, principal, director, as a superintendent and even two years at the state department, I’ve tried to make sure that our training is very purposeful, intentional,” Brown said. “Especially our winter conference [which] focuses on a lot of things around student achievement.”
Board members oversee a range of issues, from personnel matters to curriculum to budgeting. One issue the legislature aims to address is the steep learning curve many new board members experience when first taking office.
“They run for the school boards, and they believe they have a good handle on it,” Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, told the House Education Committee last year. “Trust me, I served 10 years. Until you’re actually sitting in that seat and start taking on these things, you really do not have a good understanding. And sometimes after that, you still don’t have a good understanding.”
On Thursday, Brown said orientation used to be offered once every two years, but now occurs on a rolling or as-needed basis due to high turnover.
“I’ve done it where we get word somebody is appointed on a Tuesday — if they’re available on Thursday, I do that training individually in my office so they can be ready to be sworn in at their next meeting and begin to take their duties as a new board member,” he said.
Sen. Scott Allen Fuller, R-Wayne, asked Brown his thoughts on low assessment scores across West Virginia schools.
Brown pointed to broader systemic issues outside of the classroom, including the state’s high rate of children in foster care and generational poverty. However, he went on to compare West Virginia’s academic performance to that of Louisiana, which has undergone a marked improvement over the past several years.
“I started looking at their website and the work that they’re doing, and I look at what we’re doing, looks very similar,” Brown said. “A lot of legislation [that has] come from you guys looks very similar to what’s happening in Louisiana. Then, when I look at how long they’ve been on this journey, they’re now in that five, six, seven year range. We’re in our second year.”
Senate Bill 284 was advanced to the full Senate with the recommendation it pass.
The committee also approved Senate Bill 558, requiring a half credit in computer science for graduation, as well as a Senate Bill 581, facilitating involvement in 4-H activities during school hours.
The West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council says strengthening jobs and funding for behavioral health centers and state health programs would help folks with disabilities live independently and find jobs.
West Virginia is home to 13 publicly funded behavioral health centers, run through the West Virginia Department of Human Services. Located across the state, these facilities provide things like at-home care, counseling and crisis support to residents with disabilities.
But the United States is currently facing a shortage in its health care workforce, and West Virginia is no exception. Nursing jobs in the state had a vacancy rate of nearly 20% last year, and a majority of the state’s 55 counties are medically underserved, according to a 2024 report from West Virginia University.
Tina Wiseman is executive director of the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council (WVDDC). She said the shortage has spelled trouble for the state’s behavioral health centers, which play an important role in providing long-term support to folks with disabilities.
“Everywhere there [are] workforce issues. But those programs would really benefit from increasing wages, more standardized training, more oversight by middle management,” she said. “Making sure that people with developmental disabilities aren’t institutionalized and lose their rights.”
The WVDDC is federally funded, and every U.S. state and territory has its own version of the council, as required by the federal Developmental Disabilities Act.
“Our main goal is to advocate for people with developmental disabilities, to make sure their rights are protected, to provide education and technical support to policymakers and lawmakers about what the big issues for people with developmental disabilities [are],” Wiseman said.
Wiseman acknowledged that state spending might be constrained by a projected budget shortfall this year. In January, Gov. Patrick Morrisey estimated that the state would face a budgetary deficit of $400 million this coming fiscal year, and said he expects it to grow in the years ahead.
Still, Wiseman said investing in behavioral resource centers, and programs that support residents with disabilities broadly, should not be looked at as a simple expense. She said these services also help residents with disabilities live independently, uplift their communities and rely less on state services, reducing costs to the state.
“It’s a needed investment, and they have payoff,” Wiseman said. “It is, on average, cheaper than any institutional facility if you invest in people with disabilities living in their communities, invest in supporting them to get jobs.”
Wiseman visited the State Capitol Wednesday as part of Disability Advocacy Week, an annual awareness campaign where advocates from across West Virginia come to Charleston to speak with residents, lawmakers and lobbyists about the needs of residents with disabilities.
On Tuesday, advocates raised awareness about West Virginia’s state use program, which helps residents with disabilities find employment by prioritizing them in the hiring process for certain state-requested jobs, like janitorial work and mail processing.
Wiseman said a better behavioral network for the state could spill over into improving other areas of policy concern. During this year’s legislative session, state lawmakers have expressed concern over reports of violence against school teachers from some students, and difficulties enforcing student discipline policies in local school systems.
The causes of school discipline issues run the gamut. But for students with mental health issues or developmental disabilities, Wiseman said more robust behavioral health care could turn a disciplinary problem into a chance for a child or teen to get the health support they need.
“Sometimes, kids just need someone that can maybe take them out of that classroom environment, maybe take them on a walk,” she said. “Just do some talking to them. It gives everyone in the classroom a little bit of a break to kind of reset. It gives the teacher time to reset. And it gives that student time to just calm down, refocus and then go back into the classroom.”
Wiseman feels that providing students support can be more effective than punitive responses to discipline violations.
“A lot of those things are things that really should be dealt with in that manner, as opposed to in-school or out-of-school suspension,” she said.
While investing in mental and behavioral health resources comes with a price tag, Wiseman said it also cuts costs in other areas. She believes that pays off in the long run, especially when it means helping residents find jobs that make them feel both fulfilled and financially independent.
“It all comes around full circle, supporting that community. The more people we can get in the workforce, the better,” she said. “I mean, it’s a win-win.”
Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates are considering modifications to the election process, with a particular focus on absentee and mail-in ballots.
In recent years, the integrity of mail-in and absentee voting has become a point of partisan contention across the United States. Concerns over the processes on both sides of the aisle have sparked efforts to either broaden or limit alternative voting methods.
In the West Virginia House of Delegates, a spate of bills set forth by Republican lawmakers aims to modify the electoral process. But not all of these bills have received bipartisan support.
Noncitizen Voting: House Joint Resolution 13
A resolution being considered by the House would add a new measure to voters’ ballots during the 2026 general election.
House Joint Resolution 13 would ask residents to vote on whether to amend the West Virginia Constitution, adding a clause that clarifies “any person who is not a citizen of the United States” is prohibited from voting “at any election held within this state.”
The bill is sponsored by Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood. Heckert has said the bill would merely clarify rules already in place, and ensure compliance with federal voting laws.
Noncitizen voting is prohibited by the West Virginia Code, but is not specifically mentioned in the state’s constitution.
Critics of the bill say it would not directly change voting laws in the state. That includes Julie Archer, deputy director of the West Virginia Citizen Action Group. Her organization lobbies for progressive policies surrounding health care, environmental conservation and democratic protection.
“The fact of the matter is that noncitizen voting is already illegal in all 50 states. It’s illegal under federal law,” Archer said.
Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monogalia, described the resolution as a distraction from more pressing issues.
“This is an example of the bill that does nothing except give some red meat to their base and maybe get some more Republicans out to the polls, because they think they’re going to be voting against non-citizens,” Hansen said. “But they’re not. It’s already illegal.”
The resolution has been referred to the House Rules Committee, and awaits further review. House Joint Resolution 13 would also need support from the West Virginia Senate and Gov. Patrick Morrisey to appear on voters’ ballots in the next election.
Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood, speaks on the floor of the West Virginia House of Delegates during the 2023 legislative session.
Photo Credit: Conor Martin/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Del. Rick Hillenbrand, R-Hampshire, attends a Bridge-Naming Resolution Subcommittee meeting Tuesday.
Photo Credit: Perry Bennett/WV Legislative Photo
Del. Doug Smith, R-Mercer, addresses lawmakers at a House Government Organization Committee meeting Tuesday.
Photo Credit: Perry Bennett/WV Legislative Photo
Unsolicited Absentee Ballot Forms: House Bill 2400
Del. Rick Hillenbrand, R-Hampshire, has sponsored House Bill 2400, which would prohibit the mailing of unsolicited absentee ballot applications to more than 10 West Virginia residents.
Under the bill, doing so would be designated a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500 or up to six months of imprisonment.
Hillenbrand said during recent elections, some state agencies and outside interest groups nationally have mailed residents absentee ballot applications en masse, which could cause residents to submit applications they do not qualify for.
“You fill it out and submit it without knowing, ‘Well, wait a minute. Maybe I’m not eligible for an absentee ballot,’” Hillenbrand said. “It’s not intended to make it onerous. In fact, it’s pretty easy to go do it. You can get those applications online.”
West Virginia residents are only eligible to participate in absentee voting if they meet specific conditions, like having a disability that makes in-person voting impossible, or temporarily residing outside of one’s home county.
Hillenbrand said his bill would bolster the integrity of an already-strong electoral process in the state. But Hansen views the bill less favorably.
“I think that bill is voter suppression, pure and simple,” Hansen said. “There’s a government form that any West Virginian can download off the internet, and this bill makes it a criminal offense to distribute that form to more than 10 people to allow them to register for an absentee ballot.”
The bill passed its first reading on the House floor Wednesday.
Shortening Mail-In Ballot Deadlines: House Bill 2117
Under current state law, mail-in ballots must be postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day to get counted. But House Bill 2117 would require mail-in ballots to be received by the day of the election to be valid.
The bill’s lead sponsor, Del. Doug Smith, R-Mercer, said the bill is partly informed by his own experience voting as a West Virginia resident while stationed overseas.
“I’ve been deployed when I was in the military,” Smith said. “I was in Iraq, got my ballot from West Virginia, and got it in before it was even due. So it can be done.”
Smith also said his bill would preserve the integrity of Election Day.
“Mail-in ballots are given out in plenty of time,” he said. “Waiting until the last minute, I mean, that’s like waiting until the last minute on Election Day to go to the polls. You arrive at eight o’clock, you don’t get a vote.”
But Hansen worries the bill could take the right to vote out of some residents’ hands.
“The one thing that a voter can control is when their absentee ballot is postmarked. What they can’t control is when it gets delivered by the Postal Service,” he said. “I have concerns with this president; he’s potentially going to be messing with the United States Postal Service and firing our federal workers. We won’t be assured that an absentee ballot arrives on time.”
The House Judiciary Committee advanced House Bill 2117 after a committee hearing on Feb. 25. It currently awaits further review.
Julie Archer is deputy director of the West Virginia Citizen Action Group.
Photo Courtesy of Julie Archer
Hansen speaks at a meeting of the House Energy & Public Works Committee Monday.
Photo Credit: Perry Bennett/WV Legislative Photo
Election Policy In W.Va.
Overall, Archer said her group worries that most bills coming out of this year’s legislative session add restrictions to the electoral process, instead of making voting easier.
“They also want to continue to use the big lie that the election was stolen to justify restrictive voting policies,” she said.
Hansen agreed, saying he wishes the state legislature would focus on day-to-day concerns affecting West Virginia residents — things like expanding access to clean drinking water and freezing utility rates.
“I think there’s a general sentiment among the Republican Party to make it more difficult to vote,” Hansen said. “There’s been a series of bills that do nothing or that address problems that have never been encountered in West Virginia. It’s just a waste of our time and insulting to the voters who sent us here, because there’s very real problems that we have to solve.”
Meanwhile, Hillenbrand said reexamining the electoral process is part of protecting democratic institutions.
“I think we all want fair, open and trustworthy elections. That’s what we’re all seeking here,” he said. “And again, West Virginia, I think we’re doing pretty good these days.”
West Virginia Public Broadcasting will continue following these bills and more as part of our session-long coverage of the West Virginia Legislature. To see more, visit the webpage for our legislative recap show, The Legislature Today.
A version of this story was televised on The Legislature Today on Feb. 26. Watch at this link.
On this West Virginia Morning, lawmakers in the House discuss a bill that restricts the rights of transgender people, and Appalshop’s efforts to restore its archive after devastating floods.
On this West Virginia Morning, the House Judiciary Committee met Monday to discuss a bill that restricts the rights of transgender people in West Virginia to places like public bathrooms, locker rooms and domestic violence shelters.
And Appalshop, a media and arts hub based in eastern Kentucky, was hit by floods that devastated most of the region in 2022 and damaged part of its film and audio archive. This month, another bout of devastating flooding killed at least 22 people in Kentucky and three in West Virginia. Jack Walker spoke to Roger May, Appalshop’s director of artistic programs, about its archival recovery process, and how ongoing flooding affects the region’s arts community.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Maria Young produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Democratic members of the West Virginia House of Delegates gathered at the State Capitol Monday afternoon to discuss this year’s legislative session so far, and their priorities for the weeks ahead.
Democratic members of the West Virginia House of Delegates gathered at the State Capitol Monday afternoon to discuss this year’s legislative session so far, and their priorities for the weeks ahead.
Beside them, the delegates placed a sign displaying two lists: one that read “WV GOP Waste,” and the other labeled “For The People.”
The first list identified areas of focus for some Republican lawmakers, which House Minority Whip Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, said prioritize flashy social issues over creating substantive change for everyday residents.
Among them, House Democrats listed things like “broken budget,” “corporal punishment” and “Trump Mountain” — in reference to a House bill that would rename Spruce Knob, the highest point in the state, “Trump Mountain.”
“After a super majority for a decade, [Republicans] control everything. Every single seat,” he said. “They could pass whatever they wanted. And what do we have to show for it?”
The second list juxtaposed these items with Democrats’ own legislative priorities. Specifically, that included economic growth, flood resiliency, child care accessibility, health care affordability and lower utility costs.
Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, said things like tax cuts supported by Republican lawmakers fail to address those areas of need. He said cuts to spending on the federal and state levels only make them worse.
“Go to Texas Roadhouse. Send your family there,” Williams said. “While you’re there, say hi to the waitress. She used to be your son’s math teacher, but she had to quit because her benefits stink so bad now.”
Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, told West Virginia Public Broadcasting that Democratic delegates have put forth several bills they think could address widespread issues.
“I have a number of bills addressing things like clean drinking water, which is a crisis in America’s southern coalfields [and] elsewhere across the state; and bills that will lower our electric rates. It would include a temporary freeze on electric rates,” he said.
Fluharty said the Democrats would be open to speaking to Republican House leadership about solutions to some of the concerns they highlighted.
Republican lawmakers in this year’s legislature outnumber Democrats 91 to 9 in the House, and 32 to 2 in the West Virginia Senate.
