Kent Carper Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Commissioner Carper Calls For Vaccine Bill Veto

A county commissioner has joined a chorus of healthcare professionals asking Gov. Jim Justice to veto a bill that would eliminate vaccine requirements for certain students in West Virginia.

Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper announced in a press release Tuesday he supports a veto of House Bill 5105.

House Bill 5105 would allow virtual public school students to be exempt from vaccination policies and for private and parochial schools to institute their own policies either exempting students or not.

As the law stands, all students in West Virginia have to receive vaccines for diseases like polio and measles, unless they are homeschooled or medically exempt.

“I understand the importance of Gov. Justice taking his time to review this bill in its entirety before making his final decision,” Carper said in a press release. “By vetoing this bill, the governor will take a strong stance to show the importance of protecting our vulnerable populations, including young children and seniors.”

Carper’s release joins that of Dr. Steven Eschenaur, the Kanawha-Charleston health officer, who published a statement on March 11, asking Justice to veto the bill.

“As a Public Health Officer, experienced emergency room physician and veteran, I have seen first-hand the ravages of the diseases West Virginia’s current childhood immunization laws protect against,” Eschenaur stated. “I am deeply worried about the consequences on public health with the passage of HB 5105. By allowing philosophical exemptions to the law, we are weakening the public’s ability to prevent measles, mumps, tetanus, meningitis and polio.”

Carper also encouraged other current elected officials and those running for office in the state to support the veto of the bill.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its West Virginia chapter sent a letter to Gov. Jim Justice on March 14, urging him to veto the bill.

“As we continue to experience the effects of the global coronavirus pandemic and its impact on children’s health, we need strong policies that support our public health systems to fight diseases. West Virginia HB 5105 would remove certain schools from West Virginia’s school-entry immunization requirements under existing statute. AAP policy cautions states against expanding nonmedical exemptions for childhood immunizations to protect children where they learn and in the greater community where they live.”

According to the West Virginia Legislature website, while the legislature is in session, the governor has five days to approve or veto a bill. After the legislature adjourns, the governor has 15 days to act on most bills. If the governor does not act within these time limits, bills automatically become law without his or her signature.

Justice has until Wednesday, March 26 to veto or approve House Bill 5105 or allow it to become law without his signature.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

Localities Continue To Help With Floods, Looking For More Assistance

The Kanawha County Commission allocated more money to aid flooded communities and is working with state and local officials to secure more.

Fifty-thousand dollars was approved for West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, or VOAD, to help rebuild personal bridges that were destroyed in the flood. Executive Director Jenny Gannaway requested $40,000 but the commission decided to give more.

“We’ve got families in hotels that we’re providing them. One in particular is a young mom with two small children. Her house was destroyed,” Gannaway said at the meeting. “So we’re trying to help her get into a rental property, close to her job. She lost her car and everything. So we are helping families like they get back in.”

Commission President Kent Carper said this is a one-time payment, but that this is an organization he is happy to continue to support.

“Two reasons why we’re going to do this, I think I’m speaking for everyone. Your reputation is just excellent,” he said. “You just know your business, and you’re effective at getting things done.”

The commission estimates the county has spent $200,000 so far and is putting in a request for reimbursement from the state. Carper said he is hoping to receive support from the state.

“I got several of these nice emails from the legislature, from senators wanting to know what they can do,” Carper said. “Well, they can pay the bill!”

The damage assessment process is ongoing. Homes, bridges, creeks, churches, fire stations, and roads were damaged during the flood. Eight homes were destroyed. Individuals and local communities are struggling to pay for the damage.

Federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) could be on the way if the disaster qualifies. Commissioner Lance Wheeler said that they are working to gather and submit that evidence.

“I’ve been working with the state emergency management,” Wheeler said. “They tell us that they believe these numbers are very close to passing that threshold. And we’re positive at this moment that we will get that FEMA declaration. However, you never know how FEMA is going to operate until they do. So we’re just trying to do as much as possible collecting evidence.”

The commission is asking residents in areas affected by the flood to continue to fill out FEMA surveys because they will help their communities qualify for aid. One hundred and sixty-seven have been collected so far. Surveys are available online, by QR code, and there are paper surveys available at the VOAD center in Quincy.

The commission also voted to extend debris pick up to Friday, September 15 and allocated another $100,000 to the effort. During the weekend, the hours for debris clean-up will be 8 a.m. to – 2 p.m., and during the week 8 a.m. to- 3 p.m.

Wheeler said this is needed because residents are still working to clean out, and around, their homes.

“You know we have to remember that this isn’t just trash. This is personal belongings,” Wheeler said. “This is things that people had in their home, loved items that they had and now they have to get rid of,” Wheeler said.

New Airline Will Fly To Orlando, Charleston, SC

Breeze Airways will begin offering non-stop flights from CRW to Orlando, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina beginning May 31st.

Right now, there are four flight destinations out of Charleston’s West Virginia International Yeager Airport: Charlotte, Washington D.C., Chicago and Atlanta. Five more destinations were announced on Tuesday.

Gov. Jim Justice was joined by state, county and city leaders in the airport terminal to announce that start-up Breeze Airways will begin offering non-stop flights from Charleston to Orlando, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina beginning May 31st.

Justice said the carrier will add three more non-stop flights over the next two years, including New York City and one stop on the West Coast.

“I’ve said over and over that our airports in West Virginia are our lifeblood,” Justice said. “They fuel our economy, bring in tourism, and their ripple effects are off-the-charts. I’m so proud to welcome Breeze Airways to Almost Heaven.”

Justice said this public/private partnership between Breeze Airlines, a two-year-old company out of Utah, along with the state, Kanawha County, and the City of Charleston comes after years of decline in available destinations from smaller airports around the country, including Yeager Airport.

Justice, Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper and others stressed that this is a long-term partnership. Earlier this month, Spirit Airlines announced it was discontinuing all Yeager Airport service in May, including its Orlando flight.

Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby says this public/private partnership is part of a marketing campaign to expand on the “Drive to West Virginia” concept. She said this venture is about making West Virginia more accessible to visitors and new residents and bringing in people from further and further away.

“When we started these meetings, we were talking about how we would replace Orlando,” Ruby said. “Then, we immediately said, that’s not what we’re here to do. We’re here to find a partner who is here long term, who’s not going to come in and pull out six months later.”

A Justice press release notes Breeze Airways was launched in 2021 by JetBlue founder and former CEO David Neeleman with a mission to fill a key gap in America’s air-travel offerings: efficient, affordable, direct flights between secondary airports, bypassing hubs for shorter travel times.

Angela Vargo, the vice president of Marketing and Communications for Breeze Airways spoke to those gathered at the airport, calling Breeze a N.L.C.C., a nice low-cost carrier.

“We also have family friendly policies, like family seating which you do not pay for,” Vargo said. “We do not think you should have to pay to sit next to your children, although sometimes I want to pay people to sit next to mine. We also have no change or cancellation fees.”

The new routes are now on sale on the Breeze website at introductory fares of $59 to Orlando and $49 to Charleston, one way.

Kanawha County Considering Lawsuit Against Drug Wholesaler

The Kanawha County Commission is considering seeking damages from opioid wholesalers, who they say helped to fuel the area’s drug epidemic by shipping millions of painkillers to the county.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that commissioners on Thursday hired a law firm to represent them in a potential lawsuit against the wholesalers.

The lawsuits would address the economic effects the opioid epidemic has had on the county. Commission President Kent Carper says the county jail bill is about $4.5 million each year, and that millions of dollars are spent on other costs related to the opioid epidemic.

Attorney Paul Farrell says if counties are able to punish wholesalers monetarily, they may stop conducting business in West Virginia.

A Gazette-Mail investigation found wholesalers poured more than 780 million opioid pills into the state over six years.

Kanawha Co. Waiving Building Permit Fees for Areas Affected by Flood

Following flooding in West Virginia that killed 23 people and ravaged thousands of homes and businesses, Kanawha County is waiving building permit fees in the Elkview and Clendenin areas.

The Kanawha County Commission voted Wednesday to waive the fees to all residential and commercial areas where houses and other buildings were damaged or destroyed by last week’s storm.

Building permits are required for all new construction projects to meet federal guidelines as defined in the Kanawha County Floodplain Ordinance.

Commissioner Kent Carper says in a news release that the fee waiver “will help expedite the rebuilding process” for residents and businesses without forcing those in the area to incur any costs.

Those seeking a building permit are being asked to contact the Kanawha County Commission’s planning office at 304.357.0570.

Falling Tax Revenue Causes Deficit in Kanawha County

Officials say West Virginia’s most populated county faces a $600,000 deficit in part because it’s bringing in less personal property tax revenue.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper tells the Charleston Gazette-Mail that the deficit likely won’t impact residents just yet. He says the commission will work to cut its budget and put a hold on raises for employees.

Allen Bleigh, chief tax deputy for the Kanawha County Commission, said the struggling coal industry is partially to blame for the county’s financial woes. Some coal companies have filed for bankruptcy and aren’t paying taxes they have in the past.

Officials warn that community projects might take a hit as the county attempts to preserve its funds for emergency services.