By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — If senators agree with changes to the legislation, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin can add finding funding for the state’s multi-billion dollar retiree health care debt to his list of successes since officially becoming Governor in November.
The West Virginia House of Delegates passed SB469, Gov. Tomblin’s proposal [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — A Wood County Commissioner with two homes in Florida also has one of his vehicles registered in Florida, but denies owning the vehicle.
According to the Pinellas County Tax Collector’s office in Florida, Wood County Commissioner Steve Gainer has a 2008 Fleetwood motor home registered in the [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — A Wood County Commissioner and his wife own two properties in Florida, one of which receives tax breaks for being their primary residence.
According to documents retrieved by West Virginia Watchdog, Wood County Commissioner Steve Gainer and his wife Janet own a condo in North Redington Beach, [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Republican businessman Bill Maloney filed candidacy papers today for another run for Governor of West Virginia, hoping to close the three-point gap that saw him fall to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.
Maloney was joined by his wife Sharon and several supporters at the Secretary of State’s office; [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — With the filing deadline looming, the race to replace the current West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner is getting crowded.
Republican Mike Teets filed paperwork today to run for Commissioner of Agriculture again. As of press time he is the only Republican candidate for the office, while three Democratic [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Legislation the could lure a major natural gas manufacturing facility to West Virginia could be in the Governor’s hands by the end of the week at latest.
In a rare move, the West Virginia House of Delegates voted to suspend the rules and pass Gov. Earl Ray [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has a Republican challenger in the 2012 election for Governor of West Virginia and it’s…not who you think it is.
Ralph William Clark, a philosophy professor at West Virginia University, will run in the Republican primary, which will decided who faces Tomblin next [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — In our third most read story of 2011, we wrote about the political background of now-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.
While the Tomblin, formerly a Senate President and acting governor until November, name is a staple in southern West Virginia politics, he was largely unknown to the rest [...]

Pictured, from left to right, former state Senator Mike Oliverio (D-Monongalia) and U.S. Rep. David McKinley. (Courtesy photos)
By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — In a surprise announcement, former state Sen. Mike Oliverio announced today that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for West Virginia’s 1st Congressional District.
Oliverio, a Democrat from Monongalia [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — It’s still too early yet to say, but with the Iowa caucus under a month away and nine candidates still in the race, could West Virginia play a role in selecting the Republican nominee for President of the United States?
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney apparently thinks [...]