From The Well

At the center of the West Virginia state capitol is an area known as “The Well.” It is the informal gathering place for lobbyists, reporters, constituents and lawmakers. Centrally located between the chambers of the House of Delegates and Senate, The Well is often where information is shared, alliances are formed and deals are made.

One-Year Federal Transportation Funding Measure Approved

Brian Skinner October 2, 2020 Government & Policy, Transportation

Route Fifty — By Andrea Noble — October 1, 2020 President Trump signed a continuing resolution Thursday that will avoid a government shutdown through December and provide a one-year extension of federal transportation funding. The extension of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act adds $13.6 billion to the Highway Trust Fund. The approval allows the …Read More

New Report Estimates Renters Will Owe $34 billion in Past-Due Rent by January

Brian Skinner COVID-19, Housing

By Brian Skinner, Esq. In August I wrote that we are in the middle of the most severe housing crisis has ever faced. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many were suffering from unstable housing and the situation has only worsened. The current economic recession, coupled with job and wage loss, has magnified and accelerated the …Read More

New Virus Relief Proposal Includes Less Aid for States and Localities

Brian Skinner September 29, 2020 COVID-19, Local Government, State Fiscal & Economic Policy

Route Fifty — By Bill Lucia — September 29, 2020 State and local governments would see a combined $417 billion in direct federal aid under an updated coronavirus relief proposal that House Democrats revealed on Monday, a sum that is well short of the amount included in an earlier version of the plan, but that also …Read More

Investments in Public Health Result in Benefits to Public Safety

Brian Skinner Government & Policy, Medicaid

By Brian Skinner, Esq. This summer there have been increased calls for diverting funds from public safety and placing more of an emphasis on social programs. In a recent interview, vice-presidential candidate and United States Senator Kamala Harris summarized these efforts — “We need to re-imagine how we, as a society, are going to …Read More

Ohio lawsuit: Regulators ‘punting’ on medical marijuana program expansion

Brian Skinner Medical Cannabis

Marijuana Business Daily – September 28, 2020 An Ohio medical marijuana grower filed a lawsuit against state regulators alleging that government overseers have been hamstringing the MMJ program’s growth, despite clear demand for more business services.According to Law360com, Fire Rock sued the state Department of Commerce over its failure to either grant or deny an application filed …Read More

Health on Wheels: Tricked-Out RVs Deliver Addiction Treatment to Rural Communities

Brian Skinner Opioid Drug Crisis, Rural America

Route Fifty – – By Markian Hawryluk – – September 28, 2020 STERLING, Colo. — Tonja Jimenez is far from the only person driving an RV down Colorado’s rural highways. But unlike the other rigs, her 34-foot-long motor home is equipped as an addiction treatment clinic on wheels, bringing lifesaving treatment to the northeastern corner of the state, …Read More

Black Women Legislators Are Rare in Statehouses. This Could Be the Solution.

Brian Skinner State Government

Route Fifty — By Barbara Rodriguez — September 28, 2020 In late May, Mona Das watched as protests unfolded in Minneapolis over the killing of George Floyd. A senator in Washington state, Das felt like she needed to do something to address the systemic racism that had created conditions for a white police officer to kneel onto the …Read More

Mothers Are 3 Times More Likely Than Fathers to Have Lost Jobs in Pandemic

Brian Skinner Demographics, Government & Policy

STATELINE ARTICLE — By: Tim Henderson — September 28, 2020 Mothers of small children have lost work at three times the rate of fathers in the pandemic, a situation that threatens not only progress toward gender equity but middle-class income gains that have become increasingly dependent on working women. Mothers of children 12 years old and younger …Read More

Should West Virginia Employ an Antigen Testing Strategy that Prioritizes Infectiousness Over Infections?

Brian Skinner September 24, 2020 COVID-19, Economy

By Brian Skinner, Esq. Earlier this week, global airlines called for pre-departure Covid-19 testing for all international passengers to replace the quarantines that they blame for exacerbating the decline in air travel. International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Alexandre de Juniac said during an online media briefing, rapid and affordable antigen tests that …Read More

In Slumping Energy States, Plugging Abandoned Wells Could Provide an Economic Boost

Brian Skinner September 23, 2020 Budget, COVID-19, Energy & enviroment

STATELINE ARTICLE- By: Erika Bolstad – September 23, 2020 WATFORD CITY, N.D. — It’s rare for Tom Brooks to say no to work. Which is why, in the middle of a pandemic and a worldwide slump in oil prices, Brooks mustered up a crew to plug a 42-year-old oil well for the state of North …Read More