The average person’s paycheck has not risen to cover the higher costs of daily necessities, and our taxes remain in place.

All this is happening while billions of our tax dollars are being spent every day to wage a war on Iran. Those are dollars needed for Americans at home. We’ve lost 13 of our service members. The war is bringing us nothing but bigger gas prices here. Ceasefire agreements to end it don’t last more than a few days. Someone is making profits on the ups and downs of the oil markets during this war, but it’s not the average American voter.

These concerns aren’t just about money, but of what’s right. More and more people seem ready to talk about morals in our civic life.

Ultra-rich companies and people are getting wealthier while average working and retired people struggle for basics. The quest for wealth and bigger technology is leading to harm to the planet we all live on. That’s not equal opportunity for all.

Faceless technologies like AI are getting more attention than human beings are, and tech is designing tools to further replace the need for human labor and interaction.

When’s the last time you called a big company and a real person answered the phone right away? We dislike this but feel forced to adapt to it. Why should we?

Like the colonists of early America, we do have the power and God-given right to declare this is not how we choose to live together as a country. Pay attention to keeping our civic power in the hands of people – not corporations or tech tools.

America can still turn back to representing its countrymen and women as we first intended. Not by going back to colonial times, but by using our modern tools and great national wealth to build a shared prosperity.

Pressure elected officials to use our resources for the public good. Get involved in the community. Choose your technology carefully and protect your data. Tell companies to treat customers like human beings. Help any person who’s suffering. Read widely and educate yourself.

This is how we renew our country’s founding principles and write the next chapter of Liberty and Justice for All.

Editorial by Messenger editor Kate Shunney.

The post Editorial: A Chance for Renewal appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

Now, more than ever before, these local dollars from us ensure that students have what they need to succeed in their public education. The excess levy accounts for around 18% of Morgan County Schools annual budget.

We used to talk about it providing “extras” for county students above what West Virginia school aid would provide. Today, the excess levy actually pays for essentials – staff and programs that our state government requires of our schools but doesn’t pay for.

A strong argument could be made that our counties shouldn’t have to pass an excess levy. But we do.

The State of West Virginia could fund our public schools more fully and currently boasts excess revenue. But state lawmakers have not adjusted the state school aid formula to evolve with changing needs at the classroom level. During a recent candidate forum, members of both parties uniformly said that fully and fairly funding public education is a top priority for our county, our district and our state. We are hopeful they can succeed in that mission.

In the meantime, more than 2,000 Morgan County youth need properly-trained teachers in every subject. They need emotional and mental health supports in their schools. They need access to the technology they’ll use in every aspect of life. They need alternative education and career programs. They need music, arts and athletics. These are the things the excess levy pays for.

We urge voters to vote Yes to its renewal on the non-partisan ballot on May 12.

Unlike many of the taxes we pay, this particular school tax lets us make a direct impact on the betterment of our own community. Students who get a well-rounded public education become better citizens and learn to strive not just for themselves but with their fellow students. We can amplify their potential and their dreams by adding to the resources they have at school. Supporting our local school excess levy sends the message to Morgan County students that they are worth investing in – today and for the future.

The post Editorial: Support the school excess levy appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

That’s why their announcement on Monday — that they’d be investing nearly $2 billion in outfitting a Kentucky assembly plant to manufacture electric vehicles — is a powerful statement about the future.

The Ford Louisville plant has been producing gasoline-powered vehicles for 70 years, and the American auto company will point its future toward, well, the future.

Despite steps by the current White House to strip away incentives for electric vehicles, for EV charging projects and for renewable energy like solar and wind, America’s first car company is betting on the continued growth of the market for electric vehicles.

Ford, of course, sees the global trends of manufacturers producing these cars and trucks for drivers around the world. That trend and the EV market will not go away just because this administration is pushing a return to fossil fuels through their policies. Those policies will run out in a few short years.

Successful businesses, on the other hand, see and plan 10, 20, 30 years into the future. They have to, in order to stay in business, reap the rewards of their investments and innovate for ongoing success.

Electric vehicles, renewable energy, clean fuels, energy-efficient technologies will be a central part of America’s economy five years from now. That’s necessary if we are going to compete for business around the globe. Ford just confirmed that they are betting on innovation and evolution. They’ve been around for 122 years, so they know a thing or two about how to place those bets to come out ahead.

Editorial written by editor Kate Shunney.

The post OPINION: Betting on innovation & evolution appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

The editor said he thought the text thread was a hoax at first, or meant to bait him into reporting false information. Luckily, he protected the details from public view. When the airstrikes on Yemen began, the editor realized he had been part of a military decision-making conversation he had no clearance to see or share.

The National Security Council on Monday said the text conversation appeared to be genuine. The U.S. Defense Secretary claims he didn’t share military specifics outside his command. The conversation included the Vice President and other top officials who debated the impact of the military action. The airstrikes are meant to curb the actions of Houthi rebels who are threatening the movement of trading ships in their area.

Many have observed that this administration has replaced top cabinet officials with individuals who have little experience or expertise in their actual jobs. It’s understandable the president wants people loyal to him to hold powerful posts. But those people should also be qualified to do their jobs, and understand the significance of what they are in charge of.

Careless handling of military information, especially direct military action, puts American soldiers in danger.

Giving away the location of any military team or their plans makes it possible for our enemies to find and intercept our troops and weapons. This is very dangerous for our men and women in uniform.

The World War II warning “Loose lips sink ships” was spread far and wide to remind soldiers and Americans to guard any talk about military locations or details. Our own government officials have failed in this basic step. There’s no room for “learning on the job” when it comes to following long-standing rules to protect our military troops stationed in harm’s way. America’s Secretary of Defense, National Security Advisor and Vice President have shown their carelessness in this most sacred duty.

The post OPINION: Carelessness can cost lives appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

This news coupled with the removal of mainstream media outlets from the Pentagon earlier this month and the lack of information coming from other vital departments like the CDC point to a troubling trend for journalists trying to cover the new administration.

Limiting access as a means to pressure news outlets to report in a certain way clearly flies in the face of the intentions of the First Amendment regarding speech and press.  In order to serve as the watchdog for American citizens, journalists must have access to the workings of our government at every level.

NNA will continue to monitor access for journalists across the country to make sure democracy is protected and citizens are informed about what their elected officials are doing.

The post Op Ed: First Amendment watch: Access denied appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

In a recent column, state Delegate Scot Heckert argues that West Virginia’s Certificate of Need (CON) program is needed to protect health care services in rural communities. Unfortunately, his defense ignores clear evidence that these outdated laws reduce access to care and increase patient costs.

Health care CON laws make it difficult or impossible to open new facilities or offer new services, as existing providers use these regulations to block competition. At one point, every state had health care CON laws. Today, 40% of the nation’s population lives in a state with only one or no CON laws, making it easier to compare their effects.

Research shows that states without CON laws have more rural hospitals and rural surgery centers per capita. One recent academic study found “no evidence that CON repeal is associated with hospital closures in rural areas.” Rural communities were more likely to benefit from repealing CON laws as healthy competition led to expanded access and lower costs. Moreover, allowing more health care facilities to open will create opportunities for future providers to train, ultimately encouraging more workers to enter these fields — boosting job creation while improving patient care.

Other states that have repealed or reformed CON restrictions on health care have seen the benefits. For example, after South Carolina repealed most of its CON laws in 2023, the University of South Carolina announced plans to build a $350 million hospital while the state is planning a new residential juvenile psychiatric treatment facility.

The trend is in the direction of reform: Last week, the Mississippi House of Representatives voted to reform their state’s CON laws to encourage health care providers to launch new services.

As state leaders move to strengthen economic competitiveness and improve the quality of life for West Virginians, repealing CON laws should be a priority to promote competition, access and lower costs.

Jaimie Cavanaugh is an attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm that defends Americans’ liberty against government overreach and abuse.

The post Opinion: West Virginia’s CON laws hurt rural health care — it’s time to repeal them appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

Governor Morrisey has launched a campaign to ensure West Virginia is on equal footing with our surrounding states when it comes to state regulation. The goal is to support economic development and remove unnecessary regulations. Everyone supports that effort, and we applaud the Governor for his bold actions. As we launch our Backyard Brawl, we also need to ensure we do not eliminate needed programs that help support communities across West Virginia, such as the Certificate of Need (CON) program.

The West Virginia CON program has come under increased scrutiny. In fact, every year since I have been in the Legislature there have been several attempts to eliminate the program. Critics argue that the CON program stifles competition and drives up costs. The reality is CON helps ensure communities across West Virginia have access to needed medical services and eliminating CON would devastate our state’s delicate rural health care delivery system.

West Virginia is the only state in the nation that is completely in rugged, mountainous terrain and our sparse population creates unique health care challenges.  Our rural hospitals operate on razor-thin margins with one of the lowest cost per inpatient day in the nation so every health care dollar matters. The CON law ensures these facilities remain viable by preventing unnecessary duplication of services that would drain limited resources from the local community.

Consider what happens without CON, large out-of-state health care corporations cherry-pick profitable services that cater to the small percentage of West Virginians with commercial insurance. These out-of-state corporations siphon off resources that our community hospitals use to provide needed services like 24/7 emergency room coverage, diabetes education, and cancer care.

According to the Rural Health Research Gateway, from 2005 through 2022, 186 hospitals have closed and most have been located in small rural areas, followed by large rural areas. Hospital closures are devasting to a community. Not only does the rural community lose needed medical services, forcing 911 teams to travel further for emergency care, these communities lose jobs and a critical pillar of their community. In fact, a hospital closure is often the death nell for a community because who wants to live in a community without good access to care.

West Virginia is a rural community, but over the past five years we have been able to avoid the devasting impacts of hospital closures. In fact, West Virginia has seen several new hospitals open and other existing community hospitals expand services. These expanded services are the result of the hospital responding to community needs, often partnering with others to make the most use of the limited health care workforce we have in our state. While critics point to CON as a limiting factor for expanding health care services, the reality is a national shortage of health care professionals. In fact, reports note a national shortage of 100,000 physicians and our ability to recruit providers to our rural state is the major hurdle to access, not the CON program.  

It is also important to note that elimination of the CON program could have unanticipated consequences. Today a physician can open a practice anywhere in the state and begin providing care to their community, including diagnostic imaging and laboratory services to their patients. However, if we eliminate the current CON program and move to a completely free-market model, programs such as opioid treatment centers could also open anywhere in the state. Over the years the state has worked tirelessly to ensure these services are appropriately regulated to ensure they are not next to our parks and schools. 

As we work to expand economic opportunities in West Virgina through the Backyard Brawl, lets ensure we are thoughtful in our actions. We do not want to create an unlevel playing field through the elimination of the Certificate of Need program allowing these large health care corporations to ship limited West Virginia dollars out-of-state. 

Thank You for reading, 

Delegate Scot C Heckert R-13TH

The post OPINION: The need to ensure a fair Backyard Brawl in health care appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

As I spent time reflecting during the holidays, I thought a great deal about how we never know what roads life will lead us down. When I was just a small business owner spending my days driving throughout the Eastern Panhandle, I didn’t realize then that the voices of Hoppy Kercheval, Don Marsh, and Stephen Reed would inspire me. They’d light a fire in me that  would lead me to take a different and most rewarding path in my life that would lead me from Berkeley County to our state Capitol and the House of Delegates and finish with four years as the President of the West Virginia Senate. 

Their early influence shaped my approach to governance. When Don Marsh passed away, I realized the importance of hearing diverse perspectives. As a Delegate, then Senator, then later Senate President and  Lieutenant Governor, I took in as many perspectives as possible which gave me a data-driven edge that focused on real, measurable outcomes and long term success. In my time as a member of the West Virginia Legislature, we achieved significant milestones that at the time never seemed possible: reforming the broken and failing workers’ compensation system, stabilizing our state-funded pensions, and eliminating the sales tax on food. 

However, the true accelerator of our success was my creation of the  “flat-line budget.” That concept required a steadfast commitment to fiscal  discipline that would enable us to fund our core services, encourage efficiencies when exposed, and allow for targeted, strategic economic  development investments.  

Though there may have been some doubters, the proof is in the results.  We’ve eliminated our workers’ compensation debt of $4.2 billion. We’ve  created one of the healthiest pension systems in the nation. We’ve built up a  $1.3 billion Rainy Day fund. And, we’ve done all of this without sacrificing  investment in the future.

In just the past decade alone, we’ve invested more than $6 billion to  road construction and $2 billion toward making sure every area of our state  has reliable, high-speed broadband internet – an absolute game changer in terms of unlocking economic growth and prosperity.  

But that’s not all! We’ve also provided more than $1 billion in tax relief to West Virginians, including a 27.25% cut in personal income tax and the elimination of personal income tax on Social Security for seniors by the end of this year as well as a 100% refundable tax credit on automobiles. We’ve made  education and education choice a priority with charter schools,  microschools, and the Hope Scholarship. We’ve also supported higher education through the Promise Scholarship, and provided pay raises for  teachers and state employees while keeping PEIA premiums stable. 

We’ve not just focused on the numbers. We’ve also worked hard to  strengthen West Virginia’s strong conservative values. On social issues, we’ve managed to strike a necessary balance – banning abortion with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape, and incest, protecting girls’ sports and protecting  religious freedoms. 

As we move forward and continue with all we have done to move West  Virginia into the 21^st century, we know there will be challenges. The Hope Scholarship, which has opened the door to education choice for thousands of West Virginia families, will continue to grow and require more funding. We absolutely must stabilize PEIA for our hardworking public employees. And, last, but in no way least, it’s time to eliminate the personal property tax on equipment and machinery for all businesses. The elimination of that tax is a  key to unlock our economic potential like we’ve never known. 

I’ve always said our future depends on moving at the speed of business, not speed of government. By continuing to make quick, bold decisions and fostering a business-friendly environment, we can ensure West Virginia remains a place where people want to live, work, and raise a family. 

It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of West Virginia. I look back on my 20 years in the Legislature, especially my last four as Senate President, and I’m just so proud of this state and the progress that we’ve made together. Our future is so bright, and I cannot wait to be a part of it. 

This isn’t goodbye for me, my role will be different as a senior advisor for the LNE Group but my mission will be the same: Make West Virginia the absolute best place for businesses to succeed and our families will as well. 

The post West Virginia’s journey of progress: Reflecting on the past, embracing the future appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

This weekend, make a special effort to bring some of your dollars and your Christmas spirit to local shops. Each year, we promote the wonders and delights of shopping with our hometown merchants during the holidays. And each year, when we put it into practice, we’re still surprised and thrilled with what we find.

Handmade art, limited edition gifts, local foods and drink, West Virginia treats, second-hand treasures, gift cards for meal and services, practical supplies – these are all within reach in Berkeley Springs and all across Morgan County. No Christmas list is so large or diverse that it would require a trip out of town to shop. Really! Truly!

And as we get closer to the heart of the season, we realize that visiting our neighborhood shops and supporting entrepreneurs who invest in our community truly does matter. If you’re yearning for the cozy Christmas spirit, it’s right here. Open the door of a local shop and you’re almost guaranteed to meet a friend or neighbor. There could be a tray of candy or cookies to taste as you look around, and beautiful objects that someone in your life will enjoy.

Be the person who weaves the thread of a hometown holiday through your family’s Christmas celebrations. Take an afternoon or evening to wander the sidewalks and stores you think you already know, and discover how much light and spirit and warmth we have right here at our fingertips.

The post Editorial: Local is the heart of the season appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

I’m a West Virginia County Clerk, the County Clerk from Mason County, to be exact.  For 31 years, I along with my staff have coordinated the free and fair elections in Mason County, all races from President on down to the Mason County School Board. We take great pride in this duty (one of several duties performed by West Virginia’s County Clerks) as it speaks to the heart of American democracy: the right of our citizens to participate directly by voting.  I can say without hesitation that your vote in the Mountain State is the safest, most secure vote to be counted anywhere in America. 

Sadly, in recent years we have witnessed an increase in distrust by Americans about our election systems and vote security.  Sources promoting this misinformation include losing candidates themselves to foreign actors, enemies of our great nation working to harm our freedoms. West Virginia has largely avoided these recent election doubts. Why? Because of the professionalism and seriousness County Clerks and our staff take in our election duties, working in coordination with the WV Secretary of State’s office. 

Our guidance comes from WV state law – largely Chapter 3 of the state constitution; and federal law, which includes such monumental Constitutional Amendments as the 15^th – which allowed Black men the right to vote following the Civil War – and the 19^th – giving women the right to vote.  Included are historic laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Americans with Disabities Act of 1990 which among other laws allowed more people to participate in our elections.  In addition, West Virginia Clerks follow the “Manual for Elections Officials of West Virginia,” a document over 150 pages long provided by the Secretary of State, that enumerates these laws and specifies our procedures for conducting elections legally and securely.      

There are many rules, laws and safeguards we MUST follow to ensure your vote is counted as you intend.  And every year Clerks must attend a conference training us on conducting elections and updating us on any new election laws passed by our state legislature and congress.  Among these laws, we verify that: you are eligible to vote – you are an American citizen, a resident of your county and of age; you are registered to vote (registration itself involves many rules we must follow including deadlines); you have access to vote if you are disabled, confined due to age, illness, immobility or injury, or a member of the military stationed overseas; and much more.  And that’s before the election!

After an election is held, County Commissions are required to meet on the 5^th day after an election, known as the “Board of Canvassers,” to conduct the canvass of votes and presided by the County Clerk.  Canvassing is a procedure where the materials, equipment and results of the vote are reviewed and officially recorded by the Board of Canvassers before the election is certified.  The order that certifies the election by the Board of Canvassers may not be issued until after a 48-hour period where any candidate on the ballot in the county may request a recount.  

Most all of the election laws in West Virginia can be found in Chapter 3 of the State Constitution (there are other chapters in state code involving elections, but the major laws are found within Chapter 3).  The process is established in a manner to make elections the safest and most transparent for gaining the public’s confidence. 

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5^th.  West Virginia counties are now conducting early voting until Saturday, November 2^nd.  Consult the WV Secretary of State website to know where you can early vote, or contact your County Clerk.    

And get out and Vote!

The post Opinion: West Virginia elections are the best run in America appeared first on Morgan Messenger.