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2026 Session Potpourri

Normally my column immediately after the end of the legislative session focuses on final thoughts, but I needed to write about the Raylee’s Law debacle that occurred in the final hours on March 14. So, consider the following my 2026 legislative session final thoughts. -- If the budget bill this year was a staring contest between Gov. Patrick Morrisey and the Legislature, then Morrisey blinked first. Much has been made of the House of Delegates and the state Senate getting Senate Bill 250, setting the general revenue budget for fiscal year 2027 beginning on July 1, out the door ...

No longer just dysfunction; it is danger

When a Transportation Security Administration official warns that airports could “quite literally shut down,” we are no longer talking about inconvenience, delays or political theater. We are talking about vulnerability in one of the most sensitive and critical systems in our country. Aviation security is not just another government function. It is a frontline defense. And when that defense shows signs of strain, every American should pay attention. Let’s speak plainly. When security systems are stretched thin, when agents are overwhelmed, when focus is fractured, the margin for ...

Uncertainty remains

Four years and 25 days. Twenty days. There’s a huge difference between those two numbers. The first number — 1,486 days altogether — is the length of time since Russian troops crossed the Ukraine border on Feb. 22, 2022, and headed for Kyiv. The second number — just 20 days — is the number of days since U.S. and Israeli forces on Feb. 28 began bombing strategic targets in Iran. The two attacks have this in common: Their initial responses were far different from what many experts, in the United States and beyond, expected and predicted. Back in 2022, the conventional wisdom ...

If you want something to stick, say it again

Repetition can be a good thing. If you follow my work, hardwiring is a word you are likely familiar with. It’s how I describe systems and behaviors that are in place to create consistency. Hardwiring is a good thing. Yet, it doesn’t mean that what we hardwire stays in place forever. Dan Collard and I wrote the book Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired on this subject. When we rewire, we don’t change what is working. We take a fresh look at results, and, when needed, we rewire actions. Rewiring is harder than the initial hardwiring. It means adjusting or stopping ...

Careless rhetoric

On the eve of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, Vyacheslav von Plehve bullishly promoted a conflict. As Russia’s Minister of the Interior, he promoted the idea that “a small victorious war” over Japan may be just the thing to boost the popularity of his sovereign, Nicholas II. In a style which Americans are increasingly familiar with, Plehve declared, “Russia has been made by Bayonets, not diplomacy.” Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth tend to imitate this kind of bluster. With the war in Iran incomplete, the administration seems to strut without measuring or knowing where ...

2026 Issues

For generations, West Virginians have believed in something simple: if you focus on the fundamentals, reward hard work, and let families keep more of what they earn, good things happen. That’s the approach we’ve taken in the Mountain State, and today we’re seeing real results. This year, working alongside the legislature, we secured major wins that will strengthen our economy, empower our families, and position West Virginia for long-term growth. Three of those victories stand out above the rest: cutting taxes, protecting educational freedom, and unleashing our energy ...