State of Affairs

Citizens across the state and the country went out in record numbers last week to vote on the federal and state candidates of their choice. The results were significant to say the least. 

At the national level, turnout for the 2020 Presidential Election hit a 50-year high, with former Vice President and President-elect Joe Biden appearing to have a narrow, but insurmountable lead. While the country waits for the machinations of potential legal challenges and recounts to play out, much of the national focus has shifted to the two U.S. Senate run-offs in Georgia which could ultimately ...

Over the last several months, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted public policy responses on a number of fronts. In addition to the typical public health measures taken, such as “stay at home” orders and public mask mandates, we’ve seen policies enacted at both the state and federal levels aimed at curbing the devastating impact that shutdowns have had upon the economy nationwide. One such measure that has been gaining steam across the country is liability protections for businesses reopening in the midst of the pandemic. 

As more states expand the reopening process, and people ...

With the month of July nearly complete, and many West Virginia counties experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 positives, attention has started to turn towards the State’s 2020 General Election slated for November 3rd.  With West Virginia’s Primary Election pushed back nearly a month due to COVID-19 concerns, many are wondering whether the General Election will bring a repeat of remote voting through an expanded absentee ballot process. 

During his daily COVID-19 press briefing, Governor Jim Justice fielded a question about the 2020 General Election and expressed his preference

For one of the first times since the end of the 2020 Regular Session, a number of state lawmakers gathered at the Capitol on Monday for a COVID-19 informational meeting of the House Health & Human Resources Committee. 

As expected, the meeting took on a distinctly different feel from a typical legislative interim meeting.  Members of the Health Committee socially distanced throughout the House of Delegates Chamber, with legislators maintaining several vacant seats between them.  Most in attendance wore masks throughout, including all of the House of Delegates staff and speakers ...

West Virginians went to the polls yesterday – at least figuratively – as the state’s delayed 2020 Primary Election finally took place.  And the election brought with it a number of electoral surprises. 

With the postponement of the original May 12th election date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 250,000 voters took advantage of mail-in absentee voting or the early voting process.  Tens of thousands of more votes were cast in person at polling places throughout the State yesterday.  This year, the entire Board of Public Works, a majority of the West Virginia Supreme Court of ...

While adventures have always been plentiful in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia, much of that changed during the COVID-19 pandemic as social distancing and stay at home orders have kept out-of-state tourists and West Virginians close to home and inside. That’s about to change, at least in part, as West Virginia slowly and carefully begins the reopening process and lifts restrictions on many of the state’s outdoor and adventure industries.

Starting today (May 21), limited indoor dining, the Hatfield-McCoy trails, whiter water rafting, ziplining, outdoor recreation rentals ...

As West Virginia cautiously begins the reopening process, attention is starting to turn towards the state’s primary election, which is approximately one month away.  With 2020 being a presidential election, there will be a number of high profile races on the ballot this year. Aside from the race for president, West Virginians will vote this year for governor and all other statewide officers on the Board of Public Works, three West Virginia Supreme Court Justices, all members of the House of Delegates and half of the State Senate, in addition to various county and local elections.

With ...

In recent weeks, we’ve witnessed countless instances of individuals and organizations stepping up to meet the burdens that the coronavirus pandemic has placed on all West Virginians.  Now, several business organizations are looking to get a clearer picture of the significant economic impact that has befallen the state. 

The West Virginia Association of Regional Councils (WVARC) has partnered with the West Virginia Development Office, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce in an effort to maximize stimulus funds for West ...

On April 21, 2020, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia issued a long-awaited decision upholding West Virginia's right-to-work law, which was originally passed by the Republican-led Legislature in 2016 as the "Workplace Freedom Act." In doing so, the Court has brought finality to the nearly-four-year legal saga surrounding the constitutionality of the statute.

The Act was originally passed in February of 2016, making West Virginia the 26th such state to enact right-to-work legislation. Pursuant to W.Va. Code § 21-5G-2, employees could not be compelled to ...

While West Virginians continue to socially distance, stay at home and telework, “what’s for dinner” has become a popular question across many households.  Luckily, the West Virginia Tourism Office and multiple convention and visitor bureaus across the state have an answer for you.  If you’re tired of cooking at home, or looking for dinner alternatives on short notice, they’ve got you covered.

The West Virginia Tourism Office began collecting data from restaurants a few weeks ago in order to create an interactive dining guide.  West Virginians can browse dining options near ...