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Representative Riley Moore: Trump Toady

April 22, 2025 in , , , /by

The behavior of Rep. Riley Moore has been embarrassing – both to his constituents and to himself. Since being elected to represent West Virginia’s Second Congressional District in November 2024, Moore has not had an original thought. Instead, he has let Donald Trump do his thinking, eagerly supporting every misguided and dangerous policy spun out from the Trump chaos. But the most shameful thing Moore has done is to fly to El Salvador and pose for gloating photos in front of a cell full of deportees hustled illegally out of the United States.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Senator Rucker’s Anti-Science Bill

March 8, 2025 in , , , , /by

Veteran watchers of the West Virginia Legislature will have noticed the trend to hide controversial bills behind innocent titles. This is the case with SB 599 introduced by Senator Patricia Rucker from Jefferson County on February 26. The title of the bill is Sound Science in Regulations Act, but the bill would impose an anti-science regime that would hobble the regulatory ability of state administrative agencies.

The Folly of Trump’s Tariffs

February 6, 2025 in , , , /by

Over and over in American history we have tried tariffs to solve economic problems. Over and over tariffs have failed to solve those problems, while creating new ones. Sometimes it takes the passage of years for us to forget how badly tariffs hurt us the last time we tried them. Other times we have a leader who just doesn’t know or care about history and recklessly promotes tariffs to fix an imaginary problem. We have that leader now.

Civil Liberty and Football

January 13, 2025 in , , , /by

Lately  have been spending too much time watching football on television. Lurking behind my gridiron fun is a worry about what might happen to civil liberty during the upcoming Trump administration. By civil liberty I mean the kinds of activity that are authorized or outright protected by our Constitution. Between beers – or maybe because of them – I realize that football provides some metaphors for talking about civil liberty in our political moment.

Trump Threatens Birthright Citizenship

December 3, 2024 in , , , /by

HE’S BACK! And this time Donald Trump will have a compliant Congress and a whole roster of willing Cabinet ministers. The first thing he promises to do — after upending international trade with tariffs — is to deport millions of immigrants. If this did not promise to be both tragic and harmful to the economy, I would feel like making a big bowl of popcorn, pulling up a chair and watching the whole thing crash.

Coal Baron Jim Justice Vetoes Modest Solar Bill

April 5, 2024 in /by

Nothing shows how desperately West Virginia needs a change than Jim Justice’s veto of HB 5528. Coal fuels 92% of West Virginia’s electric generation, while renewable solar energy is responsible for less than 2%. HB 5528 would have made a modest increase in the amount of solar allowed under West Virginia law. But, according to Justice, the veto was necessary to protect coal. Seriously?

West Virginia’s Orphan Well Problem

February 12, 2024 in , /by

Experts say that methane (CH4) is a bigger greenhouse gas problem than carbon dioxide (CO2) . A great deal of methane released in West Virginia comes from orphan gas and oil wells abandoned by operators many years ago. But operators have an economic incentive to walk away from their well plugging obligations even now. Bills to fix the problem are introduced every year but simply die in committee. This year some legislators have introduced a bill that would actually permit a slowdown in well plugging and protect a big gas company from suit. We need some true stewards of our environment in the Legislature to correct this.

New Energy Jobs Await West Virginia – If We Just Elect the Right Legislators

December 7, 2023 in , /by

Politics and ignorance have conspired to prevent West Virginia from fully embracing the new energy economy. But if young West Virginians are searching for a reason to stay in the state, they need look no further than career opportunities in the renewable energy sector. There is a bright future for our state if it embraces these technologies during the painful winding down of our coal and gas economy. This can only be done if policymakers in the Legislature and the executive branch get on board. It is our job as voters to ensure they do.

What Is Governing, and What Is Not

October 2, 2023 in , /by

In late September we were treated to a show by the performance artists in the far-right Chaos Caucus of the Republican Party, led by Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene. This nearly devolved into an actual government shutdown. It seems like any positive legislative proposal these days must endure a gauntlet filled with warlords and highwaymen ready to exact a ransom. We can all agree that obstructionist grandstanding and political extortion is not governing. Good governance is building, not destroying. It is about persuasion and coalition building, not extortion.