Right to appeal
The Register-Herald
March 8, 2010
Last week, the state Supreme Court declined to intervene in a case involving a high school cheerleading team.
Tolsia High School claimed it was unfairly punished when a cheerleading stunt that was deemed illegal knocked the team out of state competition. A Wayne County circuit judge agreed and issued an injunction that would [...]
Entitlement programs for W.Va. politicians
Charleston Daily Mail
March 5, 2010
THE House of Delegates wants to tax legal procedures – including divorces – to pay for the political campaigns of the state’s judicial candidates.
That’s almost laughable.
West Virginia citizens should not be required, through their taxes – or in this case, court “fees” – to fund the political campaigns of people [...]
Malpractice reform cuts health care costs
Charleston Daily Mail
March 4, 2010
FTER more than a year of pursuing only liberal ideas for his health insurance overhaul, President Obama finally met with Republicans to listen to their thoughts on the subject.
One item of interest to the GOP- and of vital importance to the American people – is medical malpractice reform.
Obama said he would [...]
Program would tax divorcing couples
Charleston Daily Mail
By Ry Rivard
March 4, 2010
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The House of Delegates has advanced a bill that would relieve would-be justices from the burden of political fundraising.
Funding for the measure could come from new fees on lawyers and people appearing in court, including those going through a divorce.
The bill, which passed 67 to 30 [...]
Senate Committee Scraps Intermediate Court Bill
MetroNews
March 2, 2010
Legislation that supporters said would improve the state’s business climate by guaranteeing an automatic right of appeal died Tuesday. The Senate Finance Committee on a voice vote rejected a bill that would have established an intermediate court of appeals in West Virginia.
The decision is a victory for the West Virginia Supreme Court [...]
State lawmakers again attempt campaign finance fix
The Charleston Gazette
By The Associated Press
March 3, 2010
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Attempts to expand campaign finance rules have twice fallen short, but West Virginia lawmakers are trying again — and this time they hope to bring shareholders along with them.
The House of Delegates passed a pair of measures this week that would change how money is [...]
State leaders need to OK judicial reforms
The Martinsburg Journal
By Richie Heath, Executive Director, WV Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse
March 1, 2010
While West Virginia’s leaders have spent a lot of time talking about reforming our state courts, we seem to keep spinning our wheels in the mud. Case in point is our most recent judicial reform discussion.
In April 2009, Gov. Joe Manchin announced [...]
Business court legislation a good first step
The West Virginia Record
February 26, 2010
We were skeptical when Gov. Joe Manchin’s Independent Commission on Judicial Reform announced its recommendations that included a public financing pilot program, codification of the interim appointment process, establishment of an intermediate appellate court, and initiation of a feasibility study for a proposed business court.
We saw no benefit to public [...]
West Virginia Legislature tries to trump the Constitution
MetroNews
By Hoppy Kercheval
February 26, 2010
When it comes to campaign spending laws the West Virginia Legislature never seems to learn. Twice it has passed laws aimed at controlling election spending and both times they have been struck down by the courts as unconstitutional.
Now, lawmakers are at it again. This year a group of Democrats is [...]
Judiciary panel OKs appeals court plan
The Register-Herald
By Mannix Porterfield
February 25, 2010
CHARLESTON — A proposed intermediate court of appeals, assuring every West Virginian a day before the bench, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee after a lengthy explanation Thursday.
While the Supreme Court has disparaged the idea as unneeded, the Senate panel moved ahead, at least to get the debate started.
Earlier, Chairman Jeffrey [...]
