This week, Inside Appalachia, a West Virginia man is reviving a Black coal camp through farming. Also, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage. And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. He’s remembered during Juneteenth through his poetry.
While most of the night is strictly business, the final hours of the legislative session often have some light-hearted moments scattered throughout. Here are a few things you didn’t see in the news.
Sen. Sam Cann rose to speak to House Bill 4343, the West Virginia Launch Pad Act, but maybe he forgot he’d been appointed to a new chamber:
Sen. Doug Facemire missed the first few weeks of the session and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest after breaking his ankle in January. The Senator was able to stand for the first time on the floor and explain House Bill 4346 to his fellow members, but not without first commenting on their looks:
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Delegate Doug Reynolds shared this photo from his office:
We’ve all heard of the dangers of texting while driving, but texting while voting? Sen. Truman Chafin explains:
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Sen. Dave Sypolt was concerned with changes to the Future Fund made in the House and wanted clarity before his vote, however, he asked Senate Majority Leader John Unger a question for which he didn’t have an answer and got this response:
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And in a touching moment, Senate President Jeff Kessler stepped down from the podium to hand retiring Sen. Brooks McCabe the gavel. The Senator presided over the chamber while members spoke of his accomplishments during his service.
According to the open letter, the committee proposal would shift up to $85 million in costs to the state for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, also known as food stamps, by 2028. The groups worry the state would not support the program, putting families at risk.
The board voted unanimously to direct the state superintendent to advise schools to follow current vaccination guidelines without religious exemptions, and moved to intervene in two more county school districts.