—Senator Joe Manchin’s ears must have been burning yesterday afternoon as lawmakers started advancing a repeal a 2009 law requiring West Virginia utilities to use increasing amounts of alternative fuels. Then-Governor Manchin championed the law six years ago to broaden the state’s energy portfolio, but now even Democrats are joining Republicans to get rid of the law.
—WVU President E. Gordon Gee was making the rounds during the first week of the session. Unlike some in academia, Gee loves politics and is easily the University’s best lobbyist. When I asked him on Talkline about his party affiliation, Gee said he’s “fiercely independent.” He also joked that since he was raised in Utah, he never met a non-Mormon or a Democrat until he was an adult.
—Meanwhile, for the second time in recent weeks, he has lured a West Virginian to come home to the University. First it was new Athletic Director Shane Lyons, who grew up in Parkersburg and went to WVU. Now it’s Clay Marsh, another native and WVU graduate who’s the next Vice President and Executive Dean of WVU Health Sciences. Marsh is the son of former Gazette editor and Talkline co-host Don Marsh.
—For political junkies, there was an interesting twist Wednesday when the Senate was choosing a new President. Outgoing Senate President Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall) was nominated to oppose Bill Cole (R-Mercer). The vote was along party lines, except for Bob Plymale (D-Cabell). He was the only Democrat to vote for Cole. Kessler then pulled his nomination so Cole won by acclamation. When asked about Plymale’s vote, Kessler laughed, shrugged his shoulders and said, “Who knows?”
—Committee meetings are notoriously late in starting. However, new House Energy Committee Chairman Woody Ireland says that won’t happen under his watch. Ireland began his first meeting Thursday at exactly 2:15, the scheduled time, and he says he plans to remain prompt throughout the session. As a general rule, the new Republican leadership has been well-prepared going into the session.
—Every year, there’s talk at the Capitol about where to find the money to fix the roads. Thursday, representatives from Monongalia County met with leaders to push their idea: Empower county commissions to raise their county’s sales tax by one cent to build and repair highways. Nobody likes higher taxes, but local officials, who are the ones who hear about the bad roads, are getting desperate for solutions.
—Memorial services are scheduled for today in Charleston and Moundsville for former Governor Arch Moore, who died last week at the age of 91. Expect big crowds since Moore remained immensely popular, despite his guilty plea to federal corruption charges. Moore was particularly gifted at remembering names and if he were alive and in good health, it would be fascinating to see how many of the attendees to today’s services that he could recall.