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.

From The Well

Policies WV Should Consider to Reduce Local Flood Risk


Brian Skinner Government & Policy

By Brian Skinner, Esq. In 2016, West Virginia experienced some of the most deadly and destructive flooding in the state’s history. Twenty-three people were killed, more than 1,500 homes and businesses were destroyed, and another 2,500 significantly damaged, while losses to highways and bridges totaled about $53 million. The National Weather Service declared that the amount of rainfall in June …Read More

More People With Felony Convictions Can Vote, but Roadblocks Remain


Brian Skinner Elections, Government & Policy, Voting

  PEW STATELINE – By Lindsey Van Ness – August 31, 2020 More than ever, Eric Harris is mindful of the elected officials around him: The school board members deciding whether his children will go back to the classroom, the sheriff influencing how officers interact with people like him, and the U.S. president steering the country’s coronavirus response.  …Read More

Judge Blocks Administration’s Decision to End Census Count Early


Brian Skinner Census

  By Brian Skinner, Esq. Last week U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh of the Northern District of California granted a request for a temporary restraining order stopping the Trump administration from winding down census operations until a court hearing later this month. Plaintiffs sued the administration over its decision last month to end the count a month earlier than …Read More

Income and Wealth Inequality and How It Limits Our Economic Potential


Brian Skinner Economy, State Fiscal & Economic Policy

  By Brian Skinner, Esq. In an important new book Heather Boushey, the Executive Director and Chief Economist at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, writes about the transformation underway in economics that is upsetting conventional wisdom about how our nation can deliver strong, stable, and broadly shared economic growth. Unbound-How Inequality Constricts Our Economy and What We Can Do …Read More

State Watchdogs Plan to Monitor COVID-19 Data Accuracy


Brian Skinner COVID-19, Government & Policy

  By Brian Skinner, Esq. In light of today’s press briefing in which Gov. Justice and his team tried to explain how data is compiled to color in the state’s county alert system map, I thought this story by Jenni Bergal in Stateline might be an interesting read.  She writes that because of concerns about the accuracy and uniformity …Read More

NC legislature approves $1 billion COVID-19 relief bill


Brian Skinner COVID-19, Government & Policy

  By Brian Skinner, Esq. Yesterday, the North Carolina state legislature passed a nearly $1 billion spending bill that uses the remainder of the state’s share of federal CARES Act relief money. House Bill 1105, named the The Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0, grants all North Carolina households with children up to age 17, a $335 stimulus check called “extra credit grants”, to help offset …Read More

What if the State Incentivized Eating Out?


Brian Skinner Government & Policy

  By Brian Skinner, Esq. During the month of August the British government implemented the Eat Out to Help Out program in which the government paid a 50% discount on all meals eaten in restaurants, pubs or cafes, up to 10 pounds ($13) per person, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Alcohol was not included. During …Read More