On this episode of The Legislature Today, Curtis Tate talks with Vice Chair of the House Energy and Manufacturing Committee Del. George Street, R-Preston, and Minority Chair of the Energy and Public Works Committee Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, about energy issues in West Virginia. Among other topics, they discuss rising electricity prices, community solar and data centers. 

The House of Delegates considered a bill Wednesday that changes the law on illegal drugs that contain fentanyl.

Also, a bill that would ban foods that contain certain ingredients cleared the Senate and is very close to completing legislation. This bill would make West Virginia the first state in the US to have such an expansive ban on these ingredients.

And the Federation of Humane Organizations of West Virginia in 2024 estimated that the state had more than 118,000 stray cats. Many advocates say spaying and neutering pets is key to reducing pet overpopulation. But spay and neuter procedures can be costly, which is why the state has stepped in to help finance them. This session, Jack Walker reports that lawmakers are looking to strengthen spay and neuter access once again.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, the West Virginia Legislature is currently reviewing several bills pertaining to voting and elections in the state. News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Deak Kersey, the chief deputy secretary of state, to discuss the impact this legislation would have.

Plus, amid federal and state crackdowns on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, students at Marshall University gathered to protest on their campus. Randy Yohe reports.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas talks with Deak Kersey, the chief deputy secretary of state and the chief of staff for Secretary Kris Warner, about a series of bills working their way through the state legislature that pertain to elections. They touch on topics including removing ineligible voters from the rolls, clarifying eligibility requirements and prohibiting ranked choice voting.

Also, it’s not uncommon for lawmakers to reintroduce a bill that failed the previous year, especially when that bill progressed out of at least one chamber. As Chris Schulz reports, the education committees on both sides of the Capitol have focused on such bills to start this year’s session.

In the House, delegates passed two bills pertaining to criminal justice.

And students at Marshall University recently spoke up on the future of the school's many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, related programs. As Randy Yohe reports, a campus rally also brought out students concerned that their majors and minors may not lead to the career paths they once expected. (Student journalists from Marshall helped prepare this report.)

Having trouble viewing the episode below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting

On this West Virginia Morning, the state's 2025 legislative session is now one-third complete. Reporter Curtis Tate sat down with Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, to discuss their party's priorities for the remainder of this year's session and their takes on the session so far.

Plus, The Allegheny Front is a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that focuses on regional environmental issues. They bring us their latest story about President Donald Trump's approach to the environment.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Curtis Tate talks with Minority Leaders Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, to further discuss their priorities and how they see the session so far.

Also, the first of a flurry of bills addressing gender and biological sex has passed the upper chamber. Senate Bill 456 defines sex and prohibits transgender people from using certain facilities that align with their gender identity.

And a bill to address disciplinary issues in West Virginia schools passed the House of Delegates this morning. Chris Schulz has more.

Having trouble viewing the episode below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting

On this West Virginia Morning, the spread of bird flu brings risks to wildlife, pets and even people, especially farm workers and hunters. Pittsburgh-based environmental public radio program The Allegheny Front brings us their latest story on the virus.

Plus, almost everybody has heard of the Mothman, West Virginia’s best known cryptid. But the state has plenty of others, including Veggie Man. Veggie Man helped inspire an upcoming Zine from the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University. Bill Lynch spoke with the center’s director, Lydia Warren, about Veggie man and the zine.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Week, we hear from homeless people in the southern coalfields and their advocates about the unique challenges of being unhoused in a rural community.

Plus, leaders from the state legislature discuss issues in our schools including discipline, as well as proposed exemptions to the state’s school vaccine requirements

Also in this episode, a local woman grapples with losing her dream job in the recent federal cuts.

Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Steven Allan Adams, veteran statehouse reporter for Ogden Newspapers, joins our WVPB reporters for our weekly roundtable.

Advocates for survivors of sexual violence hope the state will continue supporting crisis programs. But this year, they’re also backing a bill to address one form of sexual exploitation that’s receiving traction in the legislature. Jack Walker reports.

Thursday afternoon, Senate Judiciary discussed a bill that would restrict public schools from teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation. It would also obligate teachers to out transgender students to their parents or guardians. Briana Heaney has more.

Also, we have a weekly feature with West Virginia high school students. This week, Malia Saar and Emma Browning look at some issues they thought may be of interest to the youth of West Virginia.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting

In the 1930s, hundreds of mostly Black workers died digging the Hawks Nest Tunnel. A photographer brings their stories to life.

Also, when Jerry Machen began making art from old carpets in Tennessee, his wife Linda wasn’t impressed. 

And, a new exhibit shares the cultures of Indigenous people who call Appalachia home. 

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

The Hawks Nest Tunnel in West Virginia is the site of one of the worst industrial disasters in American history. More than 700 men, most of them African American, died of lung disease as a result of mining the tunnel in the 1930s.  

A new photography book sets out to bring their untold stories to life. It’s called “Appalachian Ghost: A Photographic Reimagining of the Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster,” by artist, educator, and journalist Raymond Thompson Jr. 

Mason Adams spoke to him about the book and Hawks Nest Tunnel.

Lots of families live with furniture, silverware, and rugs, but we often take them for granted. We seldom think about who makes these items — or where to turn when they need repaired.

One man in Kingsport, Tennessee, has been building and repairing carpets and rugs for over 50 years. For Jerry Machen, Sr., [May-chin] the business not only provides him with a livelihood — but also an outlet for expressing creativity. 

In 2022, Folkways Reporter Nicole Musgrave reported the story.

For generations, historians argued that European settlers found Appalachia devoid of Indigenous people, that it was just a hunting ground, but Appalachia has long been home for Indigenous people.

A series of events in Elkins, West Virginia is telling their stories. It’s part of the exhibit, “Creating Home: Indigenous Roots and Connections in the Appalachian Forest.”

Chris Schulz reported. 

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Kaia Kater, Steve Earle, Jeff Ellis, Yonder Mountain String Band and John Blissard.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: [email protected].

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and X @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Updated on Wednesday, March. 5, 2025 at 9:40 a.m.

On this West Virginia Morning, two committee chairs: Del. Adam Burkhammer, the chair of House Human Services, and Sen. Jason Barrett, the chair of Senate Finance spoke with Curtis Tate on Thursday's episode of The Legislature Today. They spoke about the most pressing issues in their committees, including foster care and the state budget. Here’s a portion of that interview.

And our Song of the Week is by Hugh Masekela, the South African trumpeter and activist who performed the popular anti-apartheid song “Bring Him Back Home” (referring to Nelson Mandela) twice on Mountain Stage. This version is from the latter appearance recorded in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1994 – two days before Nelson Mandela was inaugurated president of his home country. Hugh Masekela died in 2018.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. 

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

**Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include information about the Mountain Stage Song of the Week heard in the episode. An earlier version of this post listed an Inside Appalachia story that ran March 3.