Hoppy Kercheval

The West Virginia state budget is a fascinating Rorschach Test for former Gov. Jim Justice and new Gov. Patrick Morrisey.

A lot of thoughts occurred to me while watching Governor Patrick Morrisey’s initial State of the State address Wednesday night. First, it was actually a speech. That is a return to the normal way of doing business after eight years of Jim Justice’s annual musings. Justice’s addresses were more like folksy story telling by someone’s

Parents trust that the school has their children’s best interest at heart. Students trust that what teachers are telling them is factual and critical for learning. Teachers trust that when students apply themselves, learning will result.

The West Virginia Constitution mentions several times the guarantee of “life” and “liberty.” These are inalienable rights and the government has a responsibility to ensure that they are protected. That is especially true for the state’s children. It is a fundamental duty of West Virginia state agencies and the courts to assure that children are

College sports fandom is rooted in the concept of loyalty. That loyalty is reflected in myriad ways: Fans buy tickets and attend games. They watch events on TV or listen on the radio. Some make financial donations to athletic departments. West Virginia University fans pledge that loyalty aloud when they sing the Alma Mater—“Sing we

Governor Patrick Morrisey’s frustration with this session of the West Virginia Legislature boiled over in a tweet this week. The still-new governor suggested that if lawmakers do not get busy with his agenda, they will be called back into session over the summer. Here is what he said: “The more work the Legislature gets done

Former President John F. Kennedy came to know this state well when he spent weeks campaigning here prior to the 1960 Primary Election. Kennedy won the West Virginia Democratic Primary, which helped propel him to the presidency. Kennedy returned to Charleston on June 20, 1963, to participate in the celebration of the state’s centennial. On

Nostalgia is, among other things, a coping mechanism. Psychologists say that when we are feeling depressed with current events, we often grow wistful about another time in the past when we believed our lives were better. Those memories may not be completely accurate, but they are powerful. J. Paul Getty said, “Nostalgia often leads to

The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia gets to the very essence of one of the bedrock principles of this country. That will sound like a stretch to some since Garcia is an El Salvadoran native who entered the country illegally 14 years ago.* But the case has broad implications. Garcia was among a group of

Traditionally, Republican and conservative philosophies about education have centered on local control and parental rights. Those views fit with the concept of limited government. In one way, the super-majority led Republican legislature in West Virginia has followed that belief by dramatically expanding homeschool opportunities and by trying, but ultimately failing, to loosen mandatory immunization requirements