State- Page 2

CHARLESTON — Del. Gary Howell and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw have introduced legislation that would significantly restructure prosecutorial authority in West Virginia, a move critics say would erode local control, weaken voter authority and centralize power in state offices. House Bill 4496

CHARLESTON — Legislation introduced by Sen. Eric Tarr (R-Putnam, 4) would significantly limit when plaintiffs can recover damages for future medical monitoring in civil lawsuits, drawing criticism from consumer and labor advocates who say it could restrict access to early disease detection.

CHARLESTON — Del. Scot Heckert (R-Wood, 13) has introduced legislation that would explicitly restore voting rights to individuals convicted of felonies once they are released from incarceration. Del. Heckert introduced House Bill 4406 (2026), which would amend state law to clarify that

CHARLESTON — Sen. Patricia Rucker (R-Jefferson, 16) has introduced legislation that would recognize gold and silver as legal tender in the state and establish a framework for their use in private and public transactions. Sen. Rucker introduced Senate Bill 413 (2026) titled

CLARKSBURG — Republican state Sen. Tom Willis formally entered the race for U.S. Senate, filing his candidacy with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office and immediately drawing a sharp contrast with incumbent Sen. Shelley Moore Capito during remarks in Clarksburg. Willis,

CLARKSBURG — Toby Heaney officially filed paperwork at the Secretary of State’s Clarksburg Office to run for the West Virginia State Senate, representing District 2. Speaking at a press conference following his filing, Heaney described his candidacy as a commitment to public

CHARLESTON — Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Wednesday called for a 10% income tax cut and average pay raises of about 3% for public employees as he delivered his first State of the State address of the 2026 legislative session. “Tonight, I can

CHARLESTON — Legislation introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates would end statewide standardized testing in both public and private schools. House Bill 4077, sponsored by Del. Kathie Crouse, was introduced during the 2026 regular legislative session and calls for eliminating

CHARLESTON — An effort to reopen the West Virginia Republican Party’s closed primaries for the 2026 election failed Saturday after a contentious State Executive Committee meeting marked by procedural challenges, disputed committee appointments and vocal objections from party members. The meeting, held

CHARLESTON — Former U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is pleading with West Virginia Republicans to allow independent voters to participate in GOP primary elections. Manchin made his case as Republican Party leaders prepare to meet this weekend to determine whether the party will