What’s at stake for West Virginians? Here’s what our team will be reporting on this legislative session.

Henry Culvyhouse:

As Mountain State Spotlight’s State Government Watchdog Reporter, I keep an eye on what state officials are up to. Over the next 60 days, that means a deep focus on legislative actions – and inactions.

Over the past year, I have written about how the government officials have hidden behind Freedom of Information Act exemptions to stop the public from learning about policies that could affect them and moved to be less accessible to constituents. I wrote stories about how powerful, out-of-state-interests influenced the law, from gun policy to vaccine exemptions.  

From the governor’s proposal to the final bill, I will also focus on the most important piece of legislation lawmakers will pass: the budget. 

The budget lawmakers propose and pass reveals their priorities. 

I will be looking to see whether or not legislators move to protect the state’s residents from  flooding, whether they support public schools or subsidize private ones and how their commitment to tax cuts impacts spending on state agencies that protect West Virginians.

Across West Virginia, local communities are upset about a bill last year that took away local control of data center projects. I’ll be reporting on whether lawmakers address these concerns by rewriting that  bill.

Erin Beck: 

I cover public health and report about how decisions by government officials can make it harder for West Virginians to live healthy lives and get the health care they need.

West Virginia communities struggle with a variety of health challenges including lack of affordable and accessible health care, high rates of addiction and chronic disease and  homelessness.

Over the past year, I’ve written about rising health care costs, how the sale of state-owned nursing homes could reduce services for seniors and the disabled and the lack of help for seniors who need caregivers and home-delivered meals. 

I’ve also worked with Mountain State Spotlight Editor-at-Large Erica Peterson to report on the state’s foster care system, from the lack of support for kinship families and failure to spend funds to help kids succeed as adults to critical shortages in case workers.

This legislative session, I will be reporting on whether lawmakers take steps to ensure West Virginians have access to health care, even as costs are skyrocketing. 

I’ll report on whether lawmakers step in to reduce the harm from federal cuts to the state’s Medicaid program.

I’ll also cover threats to public health from attacks on water and air protections.

Tre Spencer:

I cover economic development, focusing on how companies, private individuals and government officials are helping or hindering the growth of a diverse and healthy economy for all West Virginians.

Over the last year, I’ve reported on how West Virginia’s child care crisis is hurting the state’s workforce, the need for public transportation options in rural communities and how West Virginia lags behind other states in ensuring  development sites are ready for new businesses.

During the session, I’ll focus partly on how lawmakers are – and aren’t – making it easier for West Virginians to work. I’ll  report on whether they expand access to affordable child care or do anything to help ease the state’s housing crisis, which is rooted in  a lack of supply and affordability. 

And I will be reporting on the measures lawmakers are taking to keep energy costs down for West Virginians struggling to pay their power bills, or on whether efforts to prop up the coal industry make this problem worse. 

We’ve been closely following West Virginia’s broadband progress, and will be pressing lawmakers on what more they can do to expand high-speed internet coverage to every household and business. 

I’d like to hear from folks who know anything more about these topics or are affected by any one of them. If you have any questions, tips, comments or concerns, shoot me an email at trespencer@mountainstatespotlight.org.