Phil Kabler

Charleston

Statehouse Reporter and Columnist at Charleston Gazette-Mail

Semi-retired statehouse columnist for @wvgazette. Contact at 304-348-1220, or [email protected]. RT's are not endorsements.

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Articles

Statehouse beat: Need for special sessions shows dereliction of duty

5 days ago | herald-dispatch.com | Phil Kabler

The ink was barely dry on the regular session of the Legislature when Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced plans to call what sounds like a series of special sessions in the coming months. The sessions will address issues with PEIA health insurance, education (apparently, revamping the School Aid Formula) and, presumably and inexplicably, additional tax cuts at a time when the state lacks sufficient resources to adequately provide vitally needed programs and services.
Statehouse beat: Need for special sessions shows dereliction of duty

6 days ago | wvgazettemail.com | Phil Kabler

The ink was barely dry on the regular session of the Legislature when Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced plans to call what sounds like a series of special sessions in the coming months. The sessions will address issues with PEIA health insurance, education (apparently, revamping the School Aid Formula) and, presumably and inexplicably, additional tax cuts at a time when the state lacks sufficient resources to adequately provide vitally needed programs and services.
Statehouse Beat: The worst legislative session ever ... so far

3 weeks ago | herald-dispatch.com | Phil Kabler

For yet another year, the regular session of the Legislature wasn’t the worst session ever — merely the worst session ever so far. Used to be the last night of the legislative session made for compelling television, as both chambers hustled to complete work on dozens of bills of varying degrees of significance.
Statehouse Beat: The worst legislative session ever ... so far

3 weeks ago | wvgazettemail.com | Phil Kabler

For yet another year, the regular session of the Legislature wasn’t the worst session ever — merely the worst session ever so far. Used to be the last night of the legislative session made for compelling television, as both chambers hustled to complete work on dozens of bills of varying degrees of significance.
Statehouse beat: West Virginia GOP proves again they are anti-worker

1 month ago | wvgazettemail.com | Phil Kabler

It never ceases to amaze me how significant numbers of American voters, and a majority of West Virginians, have been persuaded to believe that the Republican Party is the party of the working class when Republican policies are consistently anti-worker.
Statehouse beat: Federal cuts will hit WV harder than other states

1 month ago | herald-dispatch.com | Phil Kabler

For reasons not entirely explicable, for the past few years legislative leaders have prided themselves on passing the Budget Bill by the 60th day of the regular session, avoiding the traditional post-session budget conference, when the session would be extended for a few days to work out a final version of the state spending plan.
Statehouse beat: Federal cuts will hit W.Va. harder than other states

1 month ago | wvgazettemail.com | Phil Kabler

For reasons not entirely explicable, for the past few years legislative leaders have prided themselves on passing the Budget Bill by the 60th day of the regular session, avoiding the traditional post-session budget conference, when the session would be extended for a few days to work out a final version of the state spending plan.
Statehouse beat: The devolution of the West Virginia Legislature

1 month ago | herald-dispatch.com | Phil Kabler

With this being my 36th regular legislative session, I would have hoped that the Legislature as a body would have evolved over the years, becoming smarter, wiser and more effective — more of an instrument to improve the lives of working class West Virginians. Instead, it has devolved. Case in point: During my first few sessions, repeal of the state’s mandatory helmet law for motorcyclists was a perennial issue.
Statehouse beat: The devolution of the West Virginia Legislature

1 month ago | wvgazettemail.com | Phil Kabler

With this being my 36th regular legislative session, I would have hoped that the Legislature as a body would have evolved over the years, becoming smarter, wiser and more effective — more of an instrument to improve the lives of working class West Virginians. Instead, it has devolved. Case in point: During my first few sessions, repeal of the state’s mandatory helmet law for motorcyclists was a perennial issue.
Statehouse beat: The do-nothing (good) session

2 months ago | wvgazettemail.com | Phil Kabler

Regular readers of this column know I chided longtime Daily Mail statehouse columnist Richard Grimes for his annual 30th day of the legislative session column, when he would declare, “The legislative session is half over, and nothing much has happened.”Grimes, of course, recognized that the legislative process by design is backloaded. More bills are passed in the second half of the 60-day session than the first half.