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More than 2,000 people in prison currently face execution in the United States. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)

200 people on death row exonerated since 1973

It's being called a historic milestone - 200 people have been exonerated after being sentenced to death since 1973, what's known as the modern era of …

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va (far left), and other lawmakers join President Joe Biden as he signs the Inflation Reduction Act into law on Aug. 16, 2022. (Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm/Wikimedia Commons)

Super PAC spending in WV Senate race ramps up as Manchin bows out

By Harshawn Ratanpal for OpenSecrets.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the OpenSecrets-Public News Serv…

The number of people brought to jail on a capias arrest in West Virginia increased from 1,990 in 2012 to 4,936 in 2022, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. (Adobe Stock)<br />

New WV Law Aims to Address Jail Overcrowding

A new West Virginia law requires magistrates and judges to set a hearing within five days for people who've been arrested for not showing up to a cour…

In April 2019, the FDA approved the first generic form of mifepristone, following a review of the evidence that medication abortion is a safe, effective way to end an early pregnancy, according to Planned Parenthood. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Faces Lawsuit after Blocking Access to Medication Abortion

It's the latest chapter in West Virginia's attempt to outlaw abortion. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is attempting to throw out a …

Two in five U.S. voters say they are worried about threats of violence or voter intimidation at polling stations during the midterm election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. (Adobe Stock)

WV Groups Warn Election Scare Tactics, Threats Weaken Voter Power

The risk of voter intimidation and political violence has increased since 2020, according to research from the Brennan Center for Justice. Two in …

Grupos de WV advierten que amenazas debilitan el poder de los votantes

El riesgo de intimidación de votantes y violencia política ha aumentado desde 2020, según una investigación del Centro Brennan …

Across the country on July 17, communities held

West Virginians Hold Candlelight Vigil to Remember John Lewis

CHARLESTON, W.V. -- Advocacy groups held a candlelight vigil in Charleston over the weekend, marking the one-year anniversary of the passing of …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by …

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., speaks at a breakfast discussion in 2017. <br />(Flickr/Third Way Think Tank/license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

Manchin’s Stance on Voting Bill Called Betrayal to WV Black Voters

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Black West Virginians are voicing disappointment and anger over Sen. Joe Manchin's - D-W.Va. - staunch opposition to the For the …

WV Groups Call on Manchin to Support 'For the People Act'

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A coalition of pro-democracy groups in West Virginia is urging U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito to support the …

About 44% of prisoners in West Virginia's regional jails are being held pretrial because they can't afford cash bail. (Adobe Stock)

As Jails Overflow, WV Lawmakers Examine Reform Measures

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Research shows West Virginia is the only state to increase its jail population in 2020. In an online panel, state lawmakers …

After events such as the pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol, civil-rights groups are pushing to pass the For the People Act, claiming it is needed to

WV Groups Push Congress to Pass "Democracy Rescue" Bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - As Donald Trump departs the presidency today, a coalition of West Virginia civil-rights groups wants Congress to pass a bill …

The West Virginia NAACP is leading a charge to remove and disbar Attorney General Patrick Morrisey for joining the state in a lawsuit that attempted to disenfranchise voters. (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)

Calls to Expel WV Attorney General Over 2020 Election Lawsuit

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- With House Democrats moving forward on impeaching President Donald Trump, a coalition of West Virginia lawmakers and civil-…

A West Virginia state delegate is facing sanctions for participating with pro-Trump groups storming the U.S. Capitol. (Wikimedia Commons)

Thousands Call for Removal of WV Lawmaker for Joining U.S. Capitol Riot

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia social-justice groups are decrying a state delegate's participation in the shocking assault on the U.S. Capitol …

A new West Virginia state law requires a faster hearing if a defendant with a low-level misdemeanor charge can't afford bail. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Push New WV Bail Reform Law to Stem COVID-19 Spread in Jails

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -- A coalition of prison reform groups is asking court officials in West Virginia to make better use of the newly passed bail …

Around 35% of registered voters cast their ballot in West Virginia's June 2020 primary.(Adobe Stock)<br />

Changes to Mail-In Voting Process May Confuse Residents, Advocacy Groups Say

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Last week, state officials announced that West Virginians who want to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic will have …

West Virginia still has not released statistics on the number of African-Americans with coronavirus in the state. (Adobe stock)

WV Lags in Reporting Coronavirus Impact by Race

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia's governor announced this week that targeted COVID-19 testing will be conducted in the state's African-American …

The civil rights group Fairness West Virginia is urging lawmakers to pass the Fairness Act for LGBTQ protections in the state. (Fairness West Virginia)

WV Groups Back Bill Providing LGBTQ Legal Protections

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -- LGBTQ groups in West Virginia are fighting to pass the Fairness Act in this year's legislative session. The bill ensures that …

The majority of immigrants in West Virginia come from India, according to a new report, and many work in the health care industry. (Adobe Stock)

New Campaign Celebrates WV Immigrants

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Trump administration's hard line policies toward immigrants have spurred a coalition of civil rights groups in West Virginia …

The experimental West Virginia blockchain voting process includes a series of steps aimed to ensure proper voter identification. (SOS Office/Voatz)

WV Internet Voting Experiment Criticized

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Security experts are critical of a West Virginia experiment in Internet voting for military and overseas citizens. Last …

According to new research, people with mental illness or other problems often end up in jail awaiting trial because the community may lack other good options for them. (Prison Policy Initiative)

U.S. Jails Crowded with People Not Convicted, but Awaiting Trial

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Across America, the population in local and regional jails has tripled in the last 40 years. And new research suggests …

According to Imaam Nasir Abdussalam, the Islamic Association of West Virginia has more than 350 families in the congregation, many who work the medical profession. (Dan Heyman)

West Virginia’s Muslims Want Folks to Know Who They Really Are

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Islam has been in the news lately, in part because of attacks on the religion at the state Capitol. West Virginia's Muslim …

The Center for American Progress says many LGBT detainees in ICE custody are asylum seekers, and shouldn't be kept in detention while awaiting immigration hearings. (DHS/Wikipedia)

Sexual Assault 100 Times More Likely For LGBT Migrants In ICE Custody

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — New data shows lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender immigrants are 97 times more likely to face sexual assault in federal …

Organizers of the new Poor People's Campaign say some of what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was pursuing with the first Poor People's Campaign has been sanitized and watered down by time. (Birmingham, Ala., Police Dept.)

WV Rally Today to Reconnect with MLK’s Radical Vision

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Poor People's Campaign here and across the country is reconnecting with Martin Luther King's surprisingly radical …

Justice First organizer Rev. Leo Woodberry says their effort is timed to lead up to the People's Climate March 2018, and ahead of this fall's elections. (Vimeo/The People's Climate March)

Southern Campaign to Focus on Potential for Clean-Energy Justice

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A tour of 10 southern states focusing on clean energy and justice issues kicks off today in Raleigh, N.C. The Justice …

President Donald Trump's executive order in May 2017 instructed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to �issue guidance interpreting religious liberty protections in Federal law.� (Pixabay)

Religious Liberty for Some?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- New guidelines from the Trump administration that claim to protect religious freedoms may actually infringe on more freedoms …

The West Virginia Legislature passed SJR 12 on Monday. Now the anti-abortion measure is headed for the November ballot. (Dan Heyman)

WV Reproductive Rights Advocates Now Look to Fall Election

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia reproductive rights advocates see partisan political strategies behind the abortion referendum now headed for …

With the West Virginia Legislature having long refused to pass an LGBT nondiscrimination law, the fight for those protections has moved to city and town councils. (Dan Heyman)

Referendum Provision Draws Fire From Equality Advocates

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Fairness West Virginia says a troubling referendum provision in complex home-rule legislation could be used to overturn …

Women across the country took part in this year's Women's March less than two weeks ago. (Pixabay)

Women Host Alternative State of the Union

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – While President Donald Trump addressed Congress Tuesday night, a gathering of women held its own State of the Union…

What restaurant servers think about tip-pooling could determine how they'll feel about a Labor Department proposal giving employers the right to make workers hand over their tip income. (Pixabay)

New Trump Tip Rules Could Mean Lower Pay for Women Waiting Tables

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — New research says the take-home pay for women who wait tables in West Virginia could go from bad to worse if a proposed …

Charleston Attorney Rico Moore helped write a packet of instructions for people interested in taking advantage of West Virginia's Second Chance for Employment Act. (BlackLight Initiative/Facebook)

Group Sees Strong Response to WV Second-Chance Law

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A new organization is seeing huge interest in helping folks use West Virginia's new Second Chance law. The BlackLight …

Alexei Wood is the only journalist still facing felony charges after being swept up in the arrests of rioters at Donald Trump's presidential inauguration. (Alexei Wood/Youtube)

Photojournalist’s Felony Trial Raises Free Speech Issues

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Press groups and photojournalist Alexei Wood say there are troubling implications to Wood's trial on charges of multiple …

West Virginia is one of a handful of states without the death penalty. Support for capital punishment is at its lowest point since 1972. (Jay Coop/Nat'l. Conference of State Legislatures)

Lowest Support for Death Penalty in Decades

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The number of Americans who favor the death penalty continues to drop, with a new Gallup poll finding the level of support is at …

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has just issued an important study of children's well-being in West Virginia and around the country. (Pixabay)

Study Finds Too Many WV Kids Growing Up in Poverty

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - A high proportion of West Virginia children are living in stubbornly persistent poverty, according to a major new study…

Public News Service reporter Dan Heyman faced six months of jail time for an incident in May at the West Virginia State Capitol. (D. Heyman)

Charges Dismissed Against WV Journalist

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A West Virginia journalist whose arrest drew national attention is off the hook. Prosecutors dismissed charges on …

In 1993, the Great Mass Mooning of the KKK helped mark the last Klan rally at the Texas State Capitol. (Hank Sinatra/ACTV/Youtube)

The Counter-Protest that Showed "Naked" Contempt for KKK

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Most Americans will be gazing up at the sky today for a view of the total solar eclipse - when the moon slips between the …

In the wake of the riots there, organizers have held or are planning almost 1,000 Stand With Charlottesville events nationally. (VOA/Wikipedia)

Nearly 1,000 'Stand With Charlottesville' Events in WV, Nationally

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – People around the country have held or are planning nearly 1,000 Stand With Charlottesville events - and folks in the …

Critics say U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' renewed

Could Mandatory Sentences Undermine Criminal-Justice Reform?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A directive from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions could shift additional burdens onto West Virginia's courts and prisons…

A new study suggests the disproportionate number of African Americans behind bars in West Virginia is feeding the state's educational achievement gap. (Prison Policy Initiative)

Does Incarceration Feed the Achievement Gap?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Mass incarceration of African Americans from the war on drugs feeds the achievement gap in U.S. schools, according to a new …

Resettlement groups such as the West Virginia Interfaith Refugee Ministries are considering what to do in light of President Trump's travel ban. (WV IRM)

Efforts to Resettle Syrian Refugees In WV Thrown into Chaos

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- President Trump's executive order barring refugees is sparking confusion in West Virginia and around the country. In …

Nonpartisan vote-protection hotlines are up and running and will be taking calls through election day. (The Election Protection Coalition)

Nonpartisan Vote-Protection Hotline - 866-OUR-VOTE

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The number for the nonpartisan election-protection hotline is 866-OUR-VOTE. The Election Protection Coalition is made up of …

Many Virginia progressive groups are praising Hillary Clinton's vice-presidential pick, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.

VA Progressives Favor VP Pick Kaine

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Voters are researching Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's vice-presidential pick. Many progressive groups from his home …

New research shows news coverage often unnecessarily links the Islamic faith to acts of extremist violence. (iStockphoto)

A Different March Madness – Media Coverage of Terrorism

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - With the March Madness basketball tournament underway, social justice advocates are releasing their own version of the Elite …

The Republican-controlled West Virginia Legislature is moving forward with voter-ID legislation. (West Virginia Legislature)

WV House Likely To Pass Voter ID Bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Republican-controlled House of Delegates looks likely to pass a "voter ID" bill, and critics charge it's intended to suppress …

Federal figures show the death penalty does not actually deter murder in any measurable way. Credit: Death Penalty Information Center.

Support for the Death Penalty Slowly Falling

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The death penalty is in a long, slow decline nationally, according to opinion polls and how often it's being used. Robert …

A bill to be introduced at the Legislature would create a way for nonviolent felons to ask the court to give them a clean record after five years without getting in trouble. Photo by the WV state legislature.

A Second Chance For Nonviolent Felons

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - No matter how they live after being convicted, West Virginia felons have a hard time getting a job. But legislation could change …

The Justice for Janitors movement marks a new front for labor, as contract talks begin that cover about 75,000 commercial cleaners in the eastern U.S. Photo courtesy 32BJ SEIU.

"Janitors for Justice" and a New Front for Labor

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Janitors plan to rally on the streets during rush hour tomorrow, as talks start on contracts that cover about 75,000 …

PHOTO: Noel, a 16-year-old from El Salvador, told a reporter he is walking to the U.S. to help his mother, who has cancer. Photo credit: Joseph Sorrentino.

En Route to U.S.: Central American Migrants, on Foot

PORTLAND, Ore. – A crackdown in Mexico backed by the United States is making Central American refugees more vulnerable – and not keeping …

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WV: Civil Rights