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Moving mountains made of molehills

As your lone state government reporter here in Charleston, I have to cover both the House of Delegates and state Senate at the same time. Sometimes this means going to one chamber or the other. Sometimes that means having two computers open when two different committees are meeting at the same time. This also means I must prioritize the bills and resolutions I write about. I very rarely write about bills and resolutions that are not taken up by committees in the House and Senate. I joke that I’m the tyrannosaurus rex from Jurassic Park: I respond to movement. Because I do not have ...

The more things change in journalism

I went back to school on Feb. 12...sort of. Several of our Ogden Newspapers editors from the region were invited to visit the campus of West Virginia University that day for a tour of the university’s Media Innovation Center, meet with faculty, observe part of a class, and then take a trip over to the offices of the Daily Athenaeum and WWVU-FM, also known as U92 The Moose. Having attended what is now known as West Liberty University for my under-graduate education, I never had the “big college” experience. That was OK for me. It still is. It was a smaller campus, with fewer ...

W.Va. on my mind as Environment and Public Works Committee chair

After the American people made their voices heard in November, President Trump is now back in the White House with a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress. In this new Congress, my role has expanded. For the first time, I will serve as the senior-senator from West Virginia, the Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, and importantly, the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The Environment and Public Works Committee, or the EPW Committee as it is typically called, is tasked with developing policies to address the infrastructure, economic ...

Medicare Advantage delivers results and deserves lawmakers’ support

More than 20 years ago, I founded Primary Care One to ensure West Virginians could access high-quality, affordable primary health care. Our patients receive unlimited physician visits, X-rays, physical exams, lab tests, minor urgent care, and essential medications at four clinics. Our mission is to connect patients with essential health care where it’s needed most while also providing financial stability. Few products in the healthcare space can match that level of affordability and certainty, but Medicare Advantage stands out as an option for those on Medicare that delivers quality, ...

Thankful to those of you who read my column

So this week, I am including in this little corner of the paper ... my little section of the world, a photograph. Not the best picture, by any means. But still, a moment captured of the three people who mean the very most to me. They are my reason for saying what I say. They are the ...

A heart to heart is needed in Charleston

I’m writing this on Valentine’s Day, three days into the 60-day legislative session, and if Gov. Patrick Morrisey and some members of the Republican caucus in the House of Delegates have love for each other, I’m having a hard time seeing the floating hearts. Morrisey presented his first State of the State address Wednesday night to a joint session of the West Virginia Legislature, but even before he presented his legislative agenda, I was hearing consternation from House Republicans about pressure from those in the Morrisey administration. In fact, one thing I noticed Friday is ...