Oil & Gas Industry Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Lawmakers Talk Home Rule

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, and Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, to talk about a bill that would remove the ability of cities and towns across the state to set their own rules. It’s called home rule.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, and Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, to talk about a bill that would remove the ability of cities and towns across the state to set their own rules. It’s called home rule.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey joined a meeting of gas and oil industry leaders at the Capitol Wednesday. He spoke to them about House Bill 2014, his plan to bring more microgrids and data centers to the state. Morrisey talked about keeping more of the profits from this resource-rich state here and how the microgrid legislation would do that.

In the Senate, lawmakers passed several bills on topics ranging from food stamps to DEI. Briana Heaney has more.

In the House, delegates got off to an emotional start debating a foster care bill. Chris Schulz has more.

And a bill that would expand the employment and training requirements necessary for SNAP food benefits has passed the Senate and is now under consideration in the House of Delegates. Randy Yohe has our story.

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The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Public Forum to Be Held on Energy & How it Relates to W.Va.'s Economy

Representatives of the coal and gas industry as well as solar are expected to speak at a public forum in Martinsburg next week. The forum is about energy and how it relates to West Virginia’s economy.

This forum is titled, “Flipping the Switch: the Business of Energy and West Virginia.” Panelists include Mike McKenchnie, president of Mountain View Solar in Berkeley Springs; Corky DeMarco, executive director of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association; and Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association.

Julia Krall is the chair of the Student MBA Advisory Council at Shepherd University and the organizer of the forum. She hopes it gives people living in the Eastern Panhandle a chance to ask questions.

“I feel like this is an opportunity to bring together some of the decision makers who spend a lot more time in Charleston and kind of forget us over here a little bit,” Krall said, “and really get the people who are making decisions and making policies about our energy choices in the state and actually putting them in front of the public and really creating this community, sort of dialogue where questions can be answered, and you know there really can be a connection between the decisions that are made and how they affect our economy, our local businesses, and so on.”

“Flipping the Switch: the Business of Energy and West Virginia” will begin at 7:00 PM, Wednesday, March 25^th at the McFarland House in Martinsburg. The forum is free and open to the public, but registration is required due to limited seating.