Right-to-Work

Nearly A Decade of Change in West Virginia It boggles the mind what’s happened to West Virginia since 2014. There is no doubt since Republicans became West Virginia’s legislative majority in 2014 that the state’s policy landscape has changed. The average West Virginian in 2013 would scarcely believe… Read More

Is Work Good for Us? Work is ever-present in our lives. Regardless of if your relationship with work is good or bad, it is a significant feature of your day. For those of us who have traditional office jobs, it takes up about 8 hours or so of our day. Read More

There’s Something Special About October I love October in West Virginia; I always have. The crispness of chilly morning air, the smell and sound of leaves falling after their far-too-short burst of autumnal color, the general stillness outdoors as people begin to spend more time inside, and, o… Read More

Thoughts from the Day After the Election Republicans Now Have a Super Supermajority in West Virginia You have likely heard the news that West Virginia has increased its existing Republican supermajority in the House and Senate. On Tuesday, the majority increased from 78 to 88 delegates in the House… Read More

In Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Sun Also Rises, in one conversation an interlocuter questions another on how he went bankrupt, resulting in the now well-known response: “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” The witty reply is one that can be applied to many situations: falling asleep, financial cri… Read More

West Virginia’s Path: A Different Future or the Eternal Now?  Sweaty, breathing heavily on a stationary bike at 5:30am, I was watching the most recent season of Netflix’s popular show, Castlevania, when a main character, Isaac, said something that floored me:   “They convince us… Read More

2020 United States Census Results On Monday, the United States Census released results of the 2020 apportionment count. The results revealed what West Virginia had forecasted for months: We will lose a Congressional seat.   This trend has continued for nearly 60 years in West Virginia,. The Mou… Read More

Many of our individual lives have changed in some way or another due to the coronavirus. Similarly, lawmakers have a wide range of public policy options worthy of consideration as they are tasked with facilitating smooth transitions into post-coronavirus life and recovery of the localities and econo… Read More

Does West Virginia have time to wait? No, it does not. Will it wait? Yes, I’m afraid it must. As most West Virginians know, the state’s economy, education system, and demographics are not healthy. Are they better than a few years ago? Certainly. However, West Virginia is not in a… Read More

Government regulation of most industries is taken for granted. However, there are many fields where the free market could do a better job regulating quality and protecting consumers than the existing government apparatus. Government-imposed occupational licensing is often a burdensome requirement on… Read More