Congressman Evan Jenkins Story Archives - Page 2 of 3 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Senate Hearing on Clean Power Plan Held in Southen W.Va.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito led a Senate hearing in southern West Virginia today focused on the local impacts of the Clean Power Plan. The Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee meeting took place at Chief Logan Conference Center in southern West Virginia. Capito is the subcommittee chairwoman. She was joined by Sen. Joe Manchin and U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins.

The meeting addressed regulations stalled in court that put limits on each state’s carbon output. Many West Virginia officials oppose them because the regulations increase stress on the coal industry.

“We cannot support rules that cause massive loss of jobs and income in already depressed, rural communities like southern West Virginia,” Eugene Trisko, council for the United Mine Workers of America testified. “We need instead a major infusion of research and development capital both federal and private to lower the costs of carbon capture technologies so that coal can continue to play a vital role in baseload power generation.”

At the hearing, Wayne County Commissioner and former County Clerk Robert Pasley painted a picture of the tough realities southern West Virginian counties especially face given the downturn in coal severance taxes as the coal industry has continued to decline.

“We did give $50,000 to our volunteer fire department for an ambulance for our people,” Pasley said. “We had a program where we had two police cruisers replaced every year for our sheriff’s department. This will be the third year that we haven’t been able to do that. We’re going to be in critical need before long. Capital building projects, senior citizen programs, utilities, economic development, and many other worthwhile projects were part of this coal severance that we no longer have.”

Politicians also heard emotional testimony from local coal miner Jimmy Dale “Bo” Copley II:

“Our family’s faith in God is our provider has allowed us to carry on with our everyday life. Our god is able to bring his people through any circumstance. We believe that West Virginians’ unwavering faith in God is what will separate us from those who mean to do us harm. ”

James Van Nostrand, professor and director of the West Virginia University College of Law’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development also spoke. Extending the “war on coal” metaphor, he spoke about the artillery being waged against the coal industry. Van Nostrand likened cheap natural gas and other economic forces to an aircraft carrier. Whereas the Clean Power Plan is a much less significant weapon…

Eugene M. Trisko, Counsel to United Mine Workers of America; Wayne County Commission President Robert E. Pasley; coal miner Jimmy Dale “Bo” Copley II; Karan Ireland, West Virginia Solar United Neighborhoods Program Director; and West Virginia University law professor James M. Van Nostrand.

“In terms of its impact, it’s something like a shoulder-fired rocket launcher,” he said, “a tool to be deployed in minor skirmishes – but it’s not going to win a war.”

Van Nostrand said leaders in the state should be more focused on the energy revolution that’s underway, and stressed that there is hope for economic revitalization even if coal will likely play a smaller overall role in the state’s economy.

More Federal Flood-Relief Aid Coming to W.Va.

West Virginia is one of four states that will receive part of a $500 million dollar federal flood-relief package. However, it’s unclear how much of it will be awarded to the Mountain State.

The bill was part of a compromise budget deal approved by Congress this week to avoid a government shutdown. The U.S. Senate initially stalled the bill on Tuesday because it did not include aid for Flint, Michigan’s lead-contaminated water. Senators compromised, agreeing to revisit funding for the city when they return in December, and on Wednesday both the Senate and House passed the bill. It was then signed by President Barrack Obama.

West Virginia Congressman Evan Jenkins spoke with reporters Thursday afternoon saying the federal bill will award $500 million to Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas and Maryland for flood-recovery efforts.

Jenkins says the U.S. Secretary for Housing and Urban Development will decide how much money each state receives for flood relief based on need. He says it will be important for West Virginia to make the agency aware of what happened here in June.

“We are certainly going to have to be proactive, we are certainly going to have to fight to make sure we get our fair share,” Jenkins said.

He points out; however, this will not be the last request for flood relief aid.

“This is a down payment; this half a billion dollars. I will certainly be going back, as I know Senator Capito will be to add additional funding through the appropriations process.”

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has requested $310 million for federal community development grants to help struggling coal communities impacted by flooding.

Also on Thursday, Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced an additional award of $1.5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for West Virginia.

The money will be used by the Nicholas County School District to replace contents in facilities destroyed or damaged by the June flood. The county lost three schools in high water and had already been awarded a similar FEMA grant to help rebuild.

W.Va. State Leaders Petition Obama for Flood Relief

In a rare unified effort, Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito joined with Representatives David McKinley, Alex Mooney, Evan Jenkins, and Governor Tomblin today to petition president Obama on behalf of flood victims in the state.

23 are dead and eight counties are still under a state of emergency after flooding this June. The delegation from West Virginia pointed out in a letter that 5,000 homes and businesses were damaged, and 90 percent carried no flood insurance.

Dear Mr. President: The hardworking men and women of West Virginia have pulled together to help each other rebuild from the devastating one-in-a-thousand-year floods that inundated their communities earlier this year and led to a major disaster declaration on June 25, 2016 (DR-4273). While we are humbled by the heroic actions of our first responders and the thousands of individual citizens who helped friends, neighbors and complete strangers escape rising flood waters, we now find ourselves unable to help many of these same individuals begin down their own road to recovery, and we urge you to include West Virginia in any Presidential supplemental appropriations request that your Administration may submit to Congress. In West Virginia, more than two months after the deadly June floods that killed 23 people, eight counties remain under a state of emergency. More than 5,000 homes and businesses were damaged during the disaster and over 70% of all applicants incurred at least some FEMA-verified loss. Unfortunately, much like Louisiana, the vast majority of the flooded homes and businesses (nearly 90%) did not carry flood insurance at the time of the disaster, and, according to FEMA estimates, the average grant award for each eligible West Virginian will be less than $9,000. The challenge we face is clear – without additional assistance, these individuals and the communities in which they live simply cannot afford to rebuild. We strongly support West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s request for $310 million in disaster funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-DR) program to address the critical unmet needs of our constituents. The additional CDBG-DR funding requested by the Governor would help homeowners rebuild safer and stronger. It would give our small businesses an opportunity to reinvest in the communities on which they depend. It would give these communities the resources they need to reduce their exposure to flood threats and promote sustainable development for decades to come. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity. While the scope and scale of this disaster may seem relatively small to some, we cannot forget the 23 men, women and children whom we lost during these floods. This was one of the deadliest disasters our country has experienced this year, and we owe it to the memory of those that we lost to do everything in our power to ensure a tragedy like this never happens here again. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s separate letter to the president asked for 310 million dollars in disaster funding through the Community Development Block Grant program. In his request, Tomblin also pointed out that, “Most of the areas devastated by floods were towns and communities that had been reliant on coal. The industry’s downturn has left most of the with no capacity to build back on their own.”

FEMA estimates the average grant award for each eligible West Virginian will be less than 9 thousand dollars. Tomblin announced Tuesday total damages in the state topped $300 million.

Lily's Place Continuing to Care for Addicted Babies

Since officially opening in October of 2014, Lily’s Place has cared for 91 babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

The Need for a Special Facility

Babies arrive at the facility on 7^th avenue in Huntington suffering from different levels of withdrawal involved in neonatal abstinence syndrome. Rhonda Edmunds is the Director of Nursing at Lily’s Place.

“They tremor a lot, uncontrollably, they can’t rest well between their feedings, sometimes they can’t take a bottle very well because they are so over stimulated,” Edmunds said. “There are a lot of stomach issues involved where they cry with abdominal pain and there is loose stools the effects of that which sometimes causes their skin to break down.”

Babies born with NAS, are born addicted to drugs and alcohol. Lily’s Place, working with Cabell-Huntington Hospital in Huntington, takes in the babies for extended care so hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Units can make room for babies born with other sicknesses. Lily’s Place can house up to 12 babies at a time.

What is being done to continue to help.

When babies come to the facility they are set up with child protective services to ensure that the family and the mother make efforts to become clean so they can take care of the baby. In the 2014 legislative session house bill 2999 was passed and enacted that gives a separate designation for NAS centers, making it easier for other communities around the state to establish centers.

At the federal level Congressman Evan Jenkins is sponsoring the Cradle Act. The hope is to pass legislation that will make it easier for communities around the country to create similar facilities like Lily’s Place. At this time the Cradle Act is in the Energy and Commerce Committee in Congress and currently has 33 co-sponsors.

According to Reuters, in 2013 108 of every 1,000 babies born in Huntington were diagnosed with NAS. Statewide the number was 37 of every 1,000 babies, which was five times the national rate of 7 out of 1,000 babies. Jenkins said these facilities are needed all over the state.

“NAS babies are not limited to Huntington, I’ve held meetings at Raleigh General in Raleigh County, with both hospitals in Mercer County, I’ve been to Greenbrier County, I’ve been to virtually every hospital in the 3^rd congressional district and everyone indicates a significant increase,” Jenkins said.

The next step for Lily’s Place.

Rebecca Crowder is the Executive Director of the facility. She says there are still problems they are trying to overcome, such as the inability to accept babies and families from nearby Ohio and Kentucky which make up some of the babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome at Cabell-Huntington hospital. She said they’re ultimate goal is to offer help to the mothers that are dealing with addiction problems.

“Our goal is to create a place where the mothers can get the treatment they need, but also have that transition into a living situation where their child can join them in this process and we can teach them not just the coping skills, but the basic living skills they need to go out there and be successful in a career path and as a parent,” Crowder said.

Babies stay at the facility anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months where they help them deal with the addiction they’re born with. Lily’s place hopes to expand from 12 beds to 16 beds sometime this summer.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.

Jenkins Announces Federal Money for Public Transportation

Federal dollars are already pouring into West Virginia that will help increase public transportation access. U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins was in…

Federal dollars are already pouring into West Virginia that will help increase public transportation access. U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins was in Huntington Tuesday to discuss how the FAST Act will help not just that city, but the entire state.

FAST stands for Fixing America’s Surface Transportation. The FAST Act is a five-year highway bill that will bring dollars to West Virginia to rebuild roads, complete highway projects, repair bridges and improve rural transit programs. Improving those programs was the focus of the announcement at the Greyhound Bus Depot in Huntington. Congressman Evan Jenkins announced that over $2 Billion in funding will flow into the state over the next five years thanks to the FAST Act. $420 million in funding is already trickling into the state this year, and the amount will increase each year over the next five years, capping at $480 million. Jenkins said this money will help public transportation in not only Huntington, but throughout the state.

“In the federal highway bill there is special funding just for bus services and there are two major categories. It’s called the bus and bus facilities program and aggregate across the country that program is increasing by 89% over these five years, so it’s a real shot in the arm,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins went on to say that the second category of the money is designated just for rural areas across the country, which he expects to help in a major way throughout the southern part of the state. Jenkins said many people don’t realize just how many West Virginians depend on public buses to get them to their jobs and doctor’s appointments each day.

Paul Davis is the general manager of the Tri-State Transit Authority in Huntington, they run the bus service in the city. He said the money will mean stability for the program.

“What is this going to do to us? It gives us planning money, opportunities to look into the future,” Davis said. “Are we going to establish new routes? Are we going to do things that make TTA a safer place to be? This long-term transportation bill will give us those opportunities.”

Davis hopes stability will show possible riders that they can make long term commitments to things like furthering their education because they know TTA will be there for them to ride.

Officials to Discuss Reducing Untested Rape Kit Backlog

Law enforcement officials are gathering in Huntington to discuss how to use grants to eliminate the backlog of untested sexual assault kits in West Virginia.

The meeting Friday at the Marshall University Forensic Science Center was arranged by U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, who will join via Skype from Washington, D.C.

Representatives of the Forensic Science Center, the West Virginia State Police, the Cabell County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Division of Justice and Commerce are scheduled to attend. Victim advocates also will participate.

The state recently received a nearly $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.