WV Citizen Action Group Blog

223 posts found, showing 20 per page

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG June 8, 2017
Attacks on Democracy Halted
A number of bills were introduced during the 2017 session that would have negatively affected our electoral process. With your help we were able to halt these attacks on democracy. More
Issues: Civil Rights, Democracy

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG February 24, 2017
A Cost Too High
Congress has launched a rapid process of eliminating health coverage for 184,000 residents of West Virginia by repealing the Affordable Care Act. More
Issues: Budget Priorities, Economy, Families, Healthcare

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG April 29, 2016
James A. Haught: Liberals are the future
In the chaotic presidential campaign, the remarkable popularity of Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders spotlights a large, not-always-recognized vein of liberal political sympathy in America. Suddenly, the L-word is popular again -- not an embarrassment to be avoided. That’s great, I think, because progressives have been the driving force behind most social improvements in western civilization. More

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG April 22, 2016
Judicial Public Financing: Moving Away from Corruption in the Courtroom
Our state’s judicial public financing system has given voters the ability to choose a judiciary that is truly independent because publicly financed candidates don’t have to rely on support from lawyers and special interest contributors who frequently have cases before the court. More
Issues: Civil Rights, Democracy

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG March 7, 2016
Bill Would Make It Easier to Build Drilling Waste Landfills, Hurt Local Solid Waste Authorities
SB 601 puts our local solid waste authorities at a competitive disadvantage with these “recycling” facilities. More
Issues: Economy, Energy, Environment

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG February 14, 2016
Senate GOP Stalls Campaign Finance Bill
SB 408, a campaign finance bill that would increase contribution limits, stalled in committee after Senators amended the bill to increase disclosure of third-party political spending. It remains to be seen if the bill will reconsidered. In the meantime, six Democrats in the House introduced HB 4527, which would require any group that spends more than $1,000 to influence our elections to say where the money came from. The bill would also close the “covered transfers” loophole that allows so-called “social welfare” groups to serve as money conduits to Super PACs. More
Issues: Civil Rights, Democracy

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG February 14, 2016
House of Delegates Likely to Vote on Voter ID Requirement This Week
Statistically, an individual is more likely to be killed by lightning than to commit in-person voter fraud. HB 4013 is a “solution looking for a problem.” Please contact your delegates and ask them to vote “No” on this unnecessary and restrictive voter ID law. More
Issues: Civil Rights, Democracy

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG February 8, 2016
Right to Discriminate
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) – HB 4012 – has made its way through committee and is likely to appear on the House agenda for its first reading this week. This bill, which is similar to the one passed in Indiana, would allow individuals to not abide by local or state policies, laws, or actions that they claim violate their religious beliefs. Opponents of the bill, thus, fear the bill legalizing discrimination, especially against the LGBTQ community. More
Issues: Civil Rights, Families

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG February 7, 2016
WV Senate to Consider Raising Campaign Contribution Limits
Please contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and your legislators and tell them to vote "No" on SB 408. Allowing more money into our elections without increasing disclosure is self-serving and keeps West Virginians in the dark about who is trying to influence their votes. More
Issues: Civil Rights, Democracy

Citizen Action Group Blog Julie Archer January 22, 2016
Meaningful Disclosure of Campaign Cash Needed
If the Legislature wants to get serious about disclosure of campaign cash, they should make sure every secret money group – liberal and conservative – attempting to sway election results has to disclose where the money came from. Our right to know who is influencing our elections is not a partisan issue. More

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG January 5, 2016
Competitions Inspiring Energy Savings for ApCo Customers
WV CAG's Energy Efficient West Virginia (EEWV) project has been hard at work recently preparing for two new energy saving competitions in West Virginia: The Non-Profit Efficiency Engagement Program and Energy Efficient Charleston. Energy efficiency can help improve a number of problems facing our state, such as high unemployment and lowering bills for people struggling in today’s economy. More
Issues: Economy, Energy

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG November 16, 2015
Travelling Candidate Training Comes to Wheeling: Non-partisan workshop offered for those interested in running for office
Lewisburg and Martinsburg has had one, Charleston’s is on the 6th, and then its Wheeling’s turn. If you’ve ever wondered about running for office, from dog catcher, to school board, to state office, now is the time to find out how. The Candidate Training Academy is coming to Wheeling on the 8th of December. More
Issues: Families

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG November 3, 2015
Fair Courts: Money, politics tipping scales of justice?
If you went to court tomorrow, would you ultimately get a fair and impartial decision? Or are the scales of justice tilted by special interests spending big and playing dirty in efforts to shape elected courts to their liking? A new national report underscores the troubling answer to these questions. Bankrolling the Bench: The New Politics of Judicial Elections 2013-14, by nonpartisan organizations Justice at Stake, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the National Institute on Money in State Politics examines such attempts to influence state Supreme Courts. More
Issues: Civil Rights, Democracy, Families

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG October 21, 2015
Grassroots energy campaign also happening in the neighborhood President Obama is visiting
Today, President Obama will make his way to Charleston’s East End to discuss the overwhelming problem of opioid abuse and overdose in the state. The East End Family Resource Center will host the president in the Roosevelt Neighborhood Center building near the offices of WV Citizen Action Group and Energy Efficient West Virginia (EEWV). One of the problems cited as leading to widespread prescription drug abuse has the sluggish economy in West Virginia, but right across the street from where the President is speaking, residents have taken steps to improve their homes and create new jobs in energy efficiency. More
Issues: Economy, Energy

Citizen Action Group Blog Julie Archer October 15, 2015
Fair Courts Summit Brings Together Advocates Working to Protect Our Courts
Hosted by Justice at Stake and sponsored by the Brennan Center for Justice, Wellstone Action, and the Piper Fund the summit brought together advocates from around the country working to insulate courts from political pressure, boost public support for judicial independence, protect the courts’ ability to deliver justice and guard people’s rights, and ensure diversity among those who become judges. West Virginia was highlighted due to the judicial reforms we’ve passed in response to Don Blankenship’s election meddling and the resulting scandals that led to the Caperton v. Massey U.S. Supreme Court decision. More

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG September 2, 2015
Huffing C8
I finally read The Huffington Post’s ”Welcome to Beautiful Parkersburg, West Virginia“ article when an international reporter called to interview me about it the other day. I originally skipped over it as I’ve followed the C8 news as the story was unfolding and even had friends who grew up there. More
Issues: Environment

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG July 2, 2015
WV Citizen Action is Hiring!
WV Citizen Action is seeking to fill two staff positions: a Development Director and a VISTA intern for Energy Efficient West Virginia. More
Issues: Economy, Environment, Workers

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG July 15, 2014
Statewide Survey of Attitudes on Women’s Health and Water Quality of West Virginians
WVFREE, a nonprofit organization which focuses on reproductive justice and women’s health issues, commissioned Rainmaker Inc. to conduct a statewide survey of West Virginia voters – primarily focusing on environmental justice and reproductive justice issues in the state. More
Issues: Environment

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG July 11, 2014
Citizens call on Senators for Banking Reform
Support for the updated Glass-Steagall Act was the message of petitions delivered to Senator Manchin and Rockefeller this week supported by WV AFL-CIO; WV Center on Budget & Policy and WV Citizen Action. The petitions, which called for federal action on the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act, were part of a national delivery bearing more than 600,000 signatures, including over 2,700 citizens of West Virginia. More
Issues: Economy

Citizen Action Group Blog CAG June 30, 2014
No One Should Have to Choose Between Job and Family
When we asked USAction members if they had ever used family or sick leave to care for themselves or a family member, we were flooded with responses. More
Issues: Families, Healthcare, Workers