Talkline | Sept. 10, 2025

Hoppy stops by to discuss vaccine policy. The Teacher of the Year, Tiffany Barnes and Service Personnel of the Year, Brandon Kelley are in studio. Cabell County Delegate Dr. Matthew Rohrbach discusses possible improvements to PEIA. Brad McElhinny stops by. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Putting some data to the p e I A question,
the latest on the legal wranglings involving vaccination laws, and
the truth is out there. Metro News talk Line is underway.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
You are surrounded.

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Radio turned off from the studios of w v r
C Media and the Metro News Radio and television network.
The Voice of West Virginia comes the most powerful show
in West Virginia. This it's Metro News talk Line with
Dave Wilson and d J. Meadows.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
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From Charles stand by to David d J.

Speaker 5 (00:58):
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Speaker 1 (01:14):
Good morning, Welcome inside the Encoba Insurance studios. Dave Wilson
of Morgantown, TJ. Meadows is in Charleston. Jay Blink is
our video producer. He runs the stream overall Metro News
Television and the Metro News TV app. Sophvia Wassa handling
the audio side of things today. Eight hundred and seven
sixty five Talk eight hundred and seven sixty five eight

(01:34):
two five five. That's the phone number. You can text
the show at three oh four Talk three oh four
hearing getting underway this morning in Beckley, involving the latest
legal wranglings in the vaccination question, executive order, religious attentions,
all the above. We'll get the latest on that state

(01:57):
lawmakers were presented with nine options to save with p EIA.
Doctor Matthew Roorbach will join us in the second hour.
Brad mcklhenney stops by as well. And and we told
you the truth is out there. Ryan Smells Fox News
Radio will join us. And yes, we will dabble in
the UFO hearings up on Congress up on Capitol Hill yesterday.

(02:18):
All that straight ahead, But say good morning to the TJ.
Meadows who's in the Cove Insurance Studios via Charleston. Told
you the truth's out there, TJ. The truth is out there.
All of that.

Speaker 6 (02:29):
While last night we see Russian drones invade Polish airspace,
So monitoring that story this morning as well. Many now
saying it was not accidental, it was intentional. F sixteen's
F thirty five scrambled to shoot these things down. So
here we go, Dave, yet another you don't believe in
Eastern Europe. You don't believe the Russians.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
The drones just got off course and accidentally flitted into
Polish airspace. You're not milent, don't No, I don't.

Speaker 6 (02:55):
I think in Putin's world, you ask him how much
is enough and he'll say just a little more.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
That's what I believe. Shock I tell you. Over at
WV metronews dot com. This morning, Hoppy Kerchible has his
commentary a day early. It's saying that West Virginia needs
consistency when it comes to school immunization laws. Hop joins
us on Metro News talk line this morning, Hoppy, good morning.
We mentioned there is the court hearing going on down

(03:20):
in Raleigh County Circuit Court this morning as we start
kind of the legal process here of getting an answer
to this question. But we need some consistency across the board.
So make your argument well.

Speaker 4 (03:34):
And good morning guys.

Speaker 7 (03:35):
We do because we're all over the place and you
all have covered this and Brad Macklin he's did a
good job covering this hearing underway right now in Raleigh County,
which will probably take two days on whether or not
there should be a permanent injunction which would allow a
couple of parents in Raleigh County to have their children
to have religious exemptions to the immunizations.

Speaker 4 (03:56):
Meanwhile, in Mineral County.

Speaker 7 (03:57):
A judge has ruled that the existing state law which
requires the immunizations should be followed and did not allow
parents there to have a religious exemption. There have been
a case in Canall County where parents worried about their
immunocompromised children say they want the state law to be followed,

(04:20):
and their lawsuit has been joined with the one in
Raleigh County.

Speaker 4 (04:23):
There are a couple other counties that have joined in.

Speaker 7 (04:24):
Meanwhile, as you all have talked about, the governor has
the executive order which he's standing by from earlier this
year saying you don't have to have the immunizations, and
the state school board has said the state law says
you do, so follow along at home. We're all over
the place and the problem with that is that it
creates a great web of uncertainty for parents, for school

(04:47):
officials all across the state. And when this case first
came before the Supreme Court, as you all have reported,
the Supreme Court said.

Speaker 4 (04:55):
Well, we'll take it up, but not yet.

Speaker 7 (04:57):
We're going to give all parties until mid to late
February a chance to file briefs in this case, and
that means they'll decide it sometime next year. So I
defer to the wisdom of the Supreme Court. But in
the meantime, there is just a lot of unknown for parents, children,
school systems, health officials, on and on, and for a

(05:19):
policy to be effective, whatever that policy is, there needs
to be certainty, and right now there is not certainty.

Speaker 6 (05:26):
Hobby, As I reflect on the Governor's EO, you know,
hindsight is twenty twenty. But after reading your piece this morning,
not to state the obvious, but I was just thinking,
is this a lesson in the responsibility of an executive order?
Because minus that order the legislature got together on this
last session couldn't get a bill through minus that order.

(05:48):
I mean, I guess one could argue that someone could
still file unto EPERA and we could still have these cases,
but I don't think you would have as much uncertainty
as you're talking about. So is this a lesson in
the responsibility of whether to or not to issue an
executive order in these types of things?

Speaker 7 (06:03):
Well, there's a legitimate question TJ as to whether or not.
The governor has the authority edish executive order in his cage,
which essentially he's saying, don't follow the law. I mean,
that's what he's arguing. He's using riffra to make that case,
but he's saying, don't follow the law. So the governor's
actions have spawned a lot of this related to that
is what's going on nationally. I mean RFK junior head

(06:25):
of HHS, has been a consistent critic of vaccines and
many times spread falsehoods about vaccines. So you have those
two factors combining I think to contribute to the confusion
that we have. Now, let me say one other thing
related to this. Let me put something on the medical community,
and that it is incumbent upon the medical community, which

(06:48):
is strongly in support of vaccines, to make the case
not in a dismissive way toward parents who have concerned
about vaccines, but in a medically sound and responsible way
to parents. And so just so parents talk to the
family doctor and ask them what do you think I've

(07:09):
read this online, I heard this on television, what do
you think we should do? And let that family doctor
present in an empathetic and reasoned way his or her recommendation,
and don't be dismissive. Don't be dismissive or condescending about
parental concerns.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
A couple of thoughts here, and you can weigh in
and tell me if I'm crazy, it's possible. This is all.
This is all on the governor's plate. He issues the
executive order that runs contrary to state law, and that's
why we're having these hearings today. That's to me, that's
the only question that needs to be answered is does
he have the authority to do what he has done?

(07:51):
And what's going to happen two days of court hearings.
We're going to get into the same debates, the same
arguments over everything that we have heard before. And there's
only one question that needs to be answered here is
does he have the executive authority to run contrary to
state law? If he does, then he does. If he doesn't,
well then we need to go back and follow the
state law and move on, and then the legislature can

(08:12):
change law if at once too. There's only one question here, isn't.

Speaker 7 (08:15):
There the look, I'm not a lawyer, but the question
of whether he has the authority to use another state
law and argue that that state law riffra the West
Virginia version of riferal to trump every other law in
the state, which is essentially what the argument is about.
I mean that I don't see how that's going to
hold up. So I don't see how he wins in

(08:36):
court on that. But also it's interesting too, guys that
attorneys for both sides in the Raleigh County case met
and said, you know, rather than going through these arguments
for two days and it's going to end up before
the Supreme point anyway, let's just go to the Supreme Court.
And the judge in the case in Raleigh County said no, no,
we're going to have the permanent injunction hearing. So that's
where we That's what we are today, today and tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (09:00):
It's going to last two days. So there we are.

Speaker 7 (09:03):
But back to your point, I don't see how the
governor has the authority. I think it's a stretch to
use the referral lall in West Virginia to say that
you don't have to follow an existing law because of
the referral law. If that's the case, you could apply
that to any other law in the state and make
the rifferl law some sort of supreme trump card, if

(09:27):
you will, to try to avoid any other law in
the state for religious reasons.

Speaker 6 (09:32):
None of us are attorneys. Non judgmental reflection, but you
talked about Joe Frowell and going forward despite the fact
that parties don't want to. You know, also, grab that
case out of Kanaw County makes you wonder, Okay, well,
why didn't you grab other cases? Or maybe there was
I don't know, but it's the whole process. Hobby just
seems convoluted to me, and it doesn't feel like it's

(09:55):
very mapped out. And maybe that's because it's novel, but
it just it just feels like we're making this up
as we go. And that's not a fair statement on
my part. It's the best characterization I could come up with,
but it just seems like we're fumbling over and over
in the procedure of how this gets handled.

Speaker 4 (10:10):
Well, that's because we are on wing the law. Okay.

Speaker 7 (10:15):
As I alluded to in the commentary, you have these
cases that are popping up and will continue to pop
up as there's more publicity about them in counties, and
one judge rules one way, and one judge rules another way,
and the governor says one thing and the state school
board says another thing. So obviously there's tremendous confusion and
it needs resolution, which is why I said that it

(10:37):
would be important for a couple of things. Either the
Supreme Court to take this up as soon as possible. Again,
I guess they have their reasons for delaying on this
as soon as possible to get something definitive, and or
the legislature being more definitive, they could refine. They could
refine the Riffer law and say that it does not

(10:59):
apply to vaccinations or other laws in this state. Or
they could liberalize the vaccination requirement and provide for a
limited religious exemption, so they could do that too.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
This is where the legal process becomes extremely frustrating, because
there seems to be a very concise, simple way forward.
You issue the injunction because you can't unvaccinate kids, issue
the injunction for the remainder of this school year. So
we okay, this is the rules we're going to play by.
Then let the legal process work itself out so you
have an answer for going into next year. Because the

(11:35):
state Supreme Court is not going to get this till January.
By the time and here's the case actually issues ruling,
it's going to be what may probably by the time
the issue the injunction. Let's get to this, the state
Supreme Court, the legislature can do whatever it's going to
do and let this play out. At least we'll have
some consistency. As you pointed out, hope if there is
some sort of an injunction, yay or nay.

Speaker 7 (11:56):
Yeah, Well, but you're not going to have that because
if the judge find for a permanent injunction, which means
that the children in this case, a couple of kids
do not have to get vaccinated, that they would have
religious exemption. Remember that that would affect only those children,
only those children. It doesn't affect the entire county, doesn't
affect any other county.

Speaker 5 (12:16):
So.

Speaker 7 (12:18):
It wouldn't have state it would not have minors anyas,
it wouldn't have any state wide impact or even county wide.

Speaker 4 (12:23):
It would just impact those children.

Speaker 7 (12:25):
But it would be a basis for others with who
want to use the religious objection to bring up cases
in other counties. So you're going to have this hodgepodge
for You're going to have this hodgepodge. You can't avoid
it until there is resolution legislatively or judicially.

Speaker 1 (12:43):
For about one percent of the student population. That's what's
also drives you crazy. We're talking about the minority of
the minority here.

Speaker 7 (12:50):
Yeah, it's but I look, I'm a big believer in
the vaccines, and I've come around on one point. I've
looked in other states, and you probably can craft and
a religious exemption for people with deeply held religious beliefs
as to why the children should not be vaccinated to

(13:12):
why they shouldn't get certain vaccines.

Speaker 4 (13:14):
A lot of states have done it and.

Speaker 7 (13:18):
Make it so that it carries some weight rather than
just saying I have a religious objection and sign it
on a pizza box and send it in, but require
what the stated religious objection is and require it to
be required to be an affidavid and that affidavit says
that you've listened to the evidence, but this is my

(13:38):
religious belief. So you probably can craft it in a
pretty narrow way to respect the deeply held religious views
of people and still protect the vast majority of people.

Speaker 4 (13:49):
I think you probably can do that.

Speaker 7 (13:51):
But if you have it wed enough to drive a
truck through religious and philosophical beliefs, then now you really
are lessening the the helpful impact of vaccines.

Speaker 6 (14:02):
And to be clear, as my old football coach used
to say, you could drive a mac truck through that hole.
I mean, our process right now is just it's philosophical
essentially with what you have to do. But copy to
your point, does that open Pandora's box? I mean, should
we be asking people to use scripture or use whatever,
excuse me, whatever scriptural means they subscribe to, whether that's

(14:25):
the Bible, the Koran, whatever it may be, to justify
their case and have to make a case. Does that
open up all the problem.

Speaker 7 (14:33):
It may I'm just trying to find I'm trying to
find a way forward to here, that's all. Maybe there
is a way forward as other states have done, as
you said, to a point where you're not driving the
mac trucks because the vaccines. The bottom line on vaccines
is they are probably the greatest medical advancement over the

(14:55):
last one hundred years for protecting the life and safety
of children.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
And it you don't want to roll that back. You
don't want to go back, and.

Speaker 7 (15:04):
If you do, you're going to see cases of measles,
and you're going to see the spread of measles, and
you're going to see six children, and that's what's going
to happen.

Speaker 4 (15:14):
That's not an opinion. I think that's fact based.

Speaker 7 (15:17):
So you have to is there a way to craft
an exemption while still protecting the health.

Speaker 4 (15:24):
And safety of children? By the way, you can get
a medical exemption. Now.

Speaker 7 (15:28):
You can get that now. I mean it's harder to
get than signing on a piece of paper. I have
a religious exemption, but you can get a medical exemption
that is available to parents if they want to pursue that.
It's a little bit harder, but it certainly would would
be legitimate.

Speaker 1 (15:44):
Oh be curseable. Joining us mentioned his talk line before
we let you go hop Are you worried about Saturday.

Speaker 4 (15:51):
The pit game?

Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yes?

Speaker 4 (15:52):
Yes, absolutely?

Speaker 1 (15:55):
What does absolute most?

Speaker 7 (15:57):
What concerns me most is that Jaheim White is out.
West Virginia's best offensive weapon is out with a season
ending injuring Number one. Number two is that West Virginia's
offense scored three points in the last three quarters, and
in the third quarter of that game with Ohio University,
created three turnovers and got minus seven yards.

Speaker 4 (16:17):
I don't know where.

Speaker 7 (16:19):
The defense played pretty well, but you can't keep the
defense on the field all game. They're gonna wear down.
So I don't know where the points are gonna come from.
I don't know where the weapons are on this West
Virginia offense. Yes, I like the fact it's a rivalry game.
The crowd will be into it, the players will be
fired up. That will play in West Virginia's favor. But
you got to score points, he said, stating the obvious.

(16:40):
And I don't know where those points come from. So yes,
I'm worried. And the line has gone up I think
to seven and a half.

Speaker 1 (16:46):
Oh wow.

Speaker 6 (16:46):
I was just looking and said six and a half.
Now we're seven and.

Speaker 4 (16:48):
A half, six and a half, seven and a half.
So it went up from like four to four and
a half.

Speaker 7 (16:52):
So the odds makers see this as an uphill climb
for West Virginia. But home dog, big crowd, you know,
you know how it goes in rivalry games, guys, But
I don't like where this West Virginia offense is now
after that loss to OU.

Speaker 1 (17:05):
Do you think it's a product of all of the newcomers,
new core, all the newness around the program. What's your take.

Speaker 4 (17:12):
My thought is that you don't.

Speaker 7 (17:14):
I was looking back, it was coming up with some
trivia questions for an event we're going to do on
Thursday in West Virginia. Rolled up a bunch of points
on Pitt and names like Pat White and Steve Slayton
came up. And you don't have that. Now, you just don't.
All due respect to the players you do have. I'm
not questioning their effort, I'm just saying you do not
have offensively the talent level or levels that you've had

(17:38):
historically when you've had big games against Pitt.

Speaker 4 (17:40):
You just don't.

Speaker 6 (17:42):
Fellas did you hear Pitt's coaches presser this week? He
kind of put the knife in just a little bit.
He talked about the fact they reached out wanting to
play more in WVU, said hey, we're booked. Just wondering
if you saw that and had any reflection.

Speaker 4 (17:55):
Let me check on that. Let me check on that.

Speaker 7 (17:58):
That would surprise me, but let me check with director
of Athletic trend Baker.

Speaker 4 (18:03):
Just see if.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
That's report Bet.

Speaker 7 (18:05):
I'll report back to you, okay later this week, see
if I can find that out.

Speaker 1 (18:09):
Happy Kertchwell, you can read the commentary wv metronews dot com.
Thank you, we'll go ahead quick.

Speaker 7 (18:13):
By the way, Davia that your herd better get it
together too, your herd is struggling as well.

Speaker 4 (18:20):
Yeah, we suffer together. We suffer together.

Speaker 1 (18:22):
Saturday, I wrote, Saturday was a bad day for all
of us across the states. All right, thanks buddy, Thanks guys,
We'll be back at a moment. Talk line from the
and COVID certain studios.

Speaker 8 (18:32):
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(18:56):
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Speaker 9 (19:03):
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Speaker 1 (19:58):
Over at WV metion neews dot com. This morning, we've
got the updated high school football power rankings, presented by
a Tutor's Biscuit. Hontington moves up to number one in
Class four A, Bridgeport's still the number one team in TRIPLEA,
probably will be there most of the season. Independence number
one in Double A and Wahama number one in Single A.
See the full power rankings as voted on by the

(20:21):
highly esteemed panel of broadcasters over WV metro news dot
Com also have the top plays from week number two
of high school football. Coming up later tonight on many
of these same metro news radio stations. It'll be Metro
News high school sports line Fred Dave and Joe getting
a set for week number three of the high school
football season.

Speaker 6 (20:40):
Also highly esteemed that panel.

Speaker 1 (20:45):
Maybe well, Fred, I don't know about the rest of
that crew. Okay, uh. Text line says we got this
signed w football. Hey guys. The question to these parents
that want their children to be exempt from vaccinations where
they vaccinated when they went to school, If it did
not hurt you, why not get your children vaccinated? And
asks the Texter David, ok what I'll save this one.

(21:08):
It's a long one and I'll get to it. But
we will get to it in a future segment because
coming up bottom of the hour, Ryan Schmell's going to
join us Fox News Radio. Yes, we will get into
the UFO congressional hearing. Also, Center Republicans may be changing
rules to get through some of President Trump's nominees. Brad
McIlhenny will stop by as well. Three oh four Talk

(21:29):
three h four is the text line. Eight hundred and
seven sixty five eight two five five. That's the phone number.
Give us a call, shoot us a text. This is
talk Line on Metro News. Metro News for forty years,
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(21:51):
the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 12 (21:55):
West Virginia Metro newsign Jeff Jenkins. The co industry has
taken over the Brushwork Armory, Mercer County for the twenty
twenty five bi annual Bluefield Coal and Mining Show. Show
chairman Bob Ramsey tells Metro News a lot of equipment
on display and the show's a boost to the local economy.

Speaker 13 (22:10):
We've got, you know, one hundred and fifty vendors that
are coming into town from you know, across twenty four states.
That sort of brings all of the hotels or fall,
all of the restaurants are full, the gas stations get
their activity.

Speaker 12 (22:25):
Show began today continue through Friday. New State Corrections Commissioner
former state lawmaker David Kelly says did feel a little
strange standing on the other side of the podium. He
addressed lawmakers Tuesday during interim committee meetings. Kelly gave an
update on jail and prison staffing and maintenance, along with
other priorities. Read more at wv Metronews Dot com Residents
in several West Virginia counties continue to deal with the

(22:46):
impact of separate flooding disasters from earlier this year. West
Virginia VO had executive director Evan Connley telling state lawmakers Tuesday,
the frequency of major flooding events in West Virginia is increasing.

Speaker 14 (22:57):
Right now. I think West Virginia is holding a having
a a significant a flooding event at least once every
six months, which will drastically impact what the nonprofit community
is able to do this year.

Speaker 12 (23:11):
Those flooding events have happened in February in southern West
Virginia and in the northern Panhandle and in Marion County
in June. You're listening to Metro News for forty years,
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Speaker 4 (23:23):
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Speaker 15 (23:23):
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(23:47):
Learn more at back to Life wv dot org.

Speaker 16 (23:52):
Get ready for some hard hitting high school football The
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Speaker 12 (24:22):
The State Division of Highways will begin analyzing bids from
contractors looking to put a seal on the surface of
the Carter Bridge in Charleston that takes I sixty four
over the Canal River, the busiest bridge in the state.
Officials say that seal should help pothole work that's been
taking place for the last few weeks make it until
the whole bridge deck can be repaired in a couple
of years. Another sunny, warm day and dry across the

(24:45):
state of West Virginia today, we could have reached the
any degree mark in many areas. From the Metro News
anchor desk. I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 1 (25:11):
More of your texts coming up three or four talk
three oh four. Phone numbers eight hundred and seven to
sixty five, eight two five five. Get an update from Charleston.
Brad mclaughey has been covering the intram meetings that wrapped
up yesterday. We'll talk to Brad in just a moment.
Right now, let's go to Washington, d C. Fox News Radios.
Ryan Schmelz joins US Ryan. Senate Republicans could be considering

(25:32):
the nuclear option. What's going on somewhat?

Speaker 17 (25:36):
You know, they want to put together at rules, change
the rules where they would be able to confirm a
significant number of President Trump's nominees that they deem uncontroversial,
so you know they would they would be lower level,
you know, ambassador roles and whatnot. They group them all
and then vote on them all at one time and
be a way to speed up this process because right
now they have to vote on every single one of

(25:57):
them individually. And as Leader through pointed out, this is
the first time a president this late and his presidency
has not had a single nominee confirmed by voice call
or by a by a quick unanimous decision.

Speaker 6 (26:10):
So Ryan, give me a number here. And then secondly,
who's doing the job if no one's confirmed?

Speaker 17 (26:16):
Yeah, I mean it's it's interim roles, it's staff, it's
it's holdovers in the Biden administration, you name it, it's uh,
you know, the so President Trump doesn't have his people
and in certain roles. Now you've got about forty that
they're looking at doing this for, which would you know,
still leave out a number of people that that still
need to be confirmed after that. But you know, as
Leader Throonis said, it's for non controversial ones and for

(26:39):
you know, lower level positions, but the major cabinet level
positions like the CD's new CDC director, the UN ambassador
that would still need to go through the regular process.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
What's been the reaction from Senate Democrats.

Speaker 17 (26:53):
Well, there's some who say, you know, proceed with caution. Uh.
Leader Schumer said that, you know, this could lead to
a Democrat president Democrats Senate down the road doing something
like this, which is why you see Republicans careful about
who they choose to do this for. And then of course,
you know there's this idea that this has been something
that's been discussed by Senate Democrats and Republicans for years

(27:16):
about limiting the amount of people you need to confirm
they're just in general from the President and whatnot, because
a lot of physicians that the Senate has to confirm.
That eats up a lot of Senate floor time.

Speaker 6 (27:28):
So terrible question. Ryan, you can respond or not. Dave,
you can jump in. Just another reason why Washington is
so broken months upon months, no one in jobs can't
fill it. I mean, when do we all say enough?
I mean, it's just it's it's completely frustrating to me.
It's it's just beyond belief that we can't fill a

(27:49):
job and we have to have all this political back
and forth. I don't know, I don't even know what
to say. Just it really just bum fuzzles me.

Speaker 17 (27:59):
Yeah, I mean, and it's the first time this has
really happened where you've seen it take this long to
get somebody's nominees confirmed. But that's one of the few
strategies Democrats have right now, one of the strategies they
can use to eat a floor time and pretty much
prevent Republicans from bringing certain bills to the floor. So
you know, Ledo Thron wants to put something on the
floor right now. He's got to be very strategic with it.
And that's why you saw a number of Republicans frustrated

(28:20):
about the CDC director getting fired, is because they spend
a lot of time and a lot of valuable time
confirming her and then she's gone within a month.

Speaker 1 (28:27):
Well, go back to twenty thirteen. Harry Reid went with
a nuclear option in twenty thirteen to get some of
President Obama's nominees through. Republicans were slow walking nominees during
the Biden Minute. It's just part of this downward spiral.
If you do it to me, I'll do it to you.
I mean, we've been going through this for fifteen years.

Speaker 17 (28:44):
Yeah, man, I don't think Republicans are too concerned about
the president with this one, just because of who they're
trying to get confirmed. It's not the highest level officials
within the government. You know, you'd still have to go
through the process with people like Mike Waltz and others
who are going to be up there for the big stuff.
So I don't think they're too concerned about it, especially
when you have Republicans who've been wanting this to happen

(29:06):
for a long time.

Speaker 1 (29:07):
Well Fox News Radio is Ryan Schmell's joining us this
morning Much News talk Line. Ryan. Are the UFOs out
there or not?

Speaker 17 (29:15):
I don't know. I'm about to go into a press
commerce and as leteer Jeffreys who believes in alien So
we'll see what happens to right.

Speaker 1 (29:20):
Are you gonna do that seriously?

Speaker 18 (29:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 17 (29:23):
I'm staring at him right now.

Speaker 1 (29:26):
After yesterday?

Speaker 17 (29:28):
Yeah, yeah, no, I mean it was it was a
pretty fascinating hearing. Definitely, this is it's not over for
any stretch of the imagination. They're gonna keep talking about this,
and you know, there's gonna be a lot of questions
about how much the government is overclassifying information and whatnot.
So yeah, yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if there is
some action taken when it comes to that soon.

Speaker 1 (29:50):
Right when you all are going over the assignments for
the day and this one pops up, do you all
look around the room and go all right, who's covering
the UFO hearing? Is that one all the hands go up?
Or you just kind of put your head down and
look the other way.

Speaker 17 (30:02):
It depends to Some people are very very passionate about
the UAPs. Others are like, oh my gosh, why are
we doing this?

Speaker 6 (30:08):
All right, so let's not dismiss it, totally talk me
through what happened with this hell fire missile fired at
an object and supposed to.

Speaker 17 (30:15):
Come poat Like I actually watched the whole thing. We'll
bring them a million other things.

Speaker 1 (30:21):
Yesterday you watched the video, right, I don't got.

Speaker 17 (30:24):
Time to watch a UAP hearing from beginning to end
for three hours straight. Like, I don't have the time
to do that.

Speaker 1 (30:33):
We're talking to you know, see, Brian's very important, very important.

Speaker 6 (30:38):
I know you're busy, but no, Ryan, I mean the
essence of it. Dave, you can create me if I'm
wrong here. Apparently we fired a hell fire missile and
an unidentified object. You would think it would explode, you'd
think something it bounced off.

Speaker 1 (30:51):
Nothing happened. Yeah, there's video with that. I don't know.
Maybe maybe it's AI. Maybe somebody made an AI video.
I don't know, but I mean that would seem to
warrant some kind of explanation. Here's my question, Ryan, we
have unlimited technology in the US military. Why is all
their video grainy and out of focus on everything?

Speaker 17 (31:09):
I have no idea. Well, it's night time. That doesn't help.

Speaker 19 (31:12):
That doesn't help.

Speaker 1 (31:13):
We've got all unlimited technology. We can't get a good shot,
good video of a UFO. Just stand.

Speaker 6 (31:20):
Speaking of video, I want video of you asking ta
Kem Jeffries about UFOs. I want to see that.

Speaker 17 (31:26):
Yeah, we might be focusing on crime today, but that's
another story.

Speaker 1 (31:30):
Thanks for playing along, Ryan, We appreciate it, of course.

Speaker 20 (31:33):
Fox.

Speaker 1 (31:34):
Thank you Fox News Radios. Ryan Schmells from Washington, d C.
Brad mcklehenny has been keeping tabs on the Interroim Committee
meetings that wrapped up yesterday. Lawmakers were presented with some
data to back up possible improvements to p e i A.
We'll get into that with Brad. Also the latest on
that vaccination hearing in beck Let's talk line from the

(31:54):
en COVID Insurance Studios back in a moment.

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three hundred and eighty one million, So go ahead play today.
Brad mclohey is the Metro New statewide correspondent. He joins
us this morning on Metro News talk Line. Brad, good morning,
Thanks for joining us.

Speaker 21 (33:52):
Oh hi, good morning, and thanks for having me.

Speaker 16 (33:55):
Right.

Speaker 1 (33:55):
We already got into the issue of vaccine exemptions. Religious
exemptions require men's lawsuits, different counties, all the above. What
is happening in Berkeley County today, Rawley County, Ralegh County,
Beckley and Raleigh County, and I combine them to make
Berkeley County.

Speaker 21 (34:11):
Well, you know, to your point. To your point though,
and one that Hoppy addressed, there is a hearing in
Berkeley County next week the same grounds. I mean, it's
it's multiple families next week in Berkeley County asking for
the exemptions to the school vaccination policies to be honored.
And that is a symbol, you know, the fact that

(34:33):
we are getting mixed up is a symbol that these
things are popping up everywhere and it's now getting to
the point where it's it's hard to keep track of them.
And you know, who could be expected to remember what's
happening in individual courtrooms in fifty five counties. The hearing
that's going on today in Raleigh County is important while

(34:54):
also being not important in that County Judge Michael Froebel
has already issued a temporary allowance for three families for
total students to use the exemptions that they've gotten from
the Board of Health to enter the public schools that

(35:14):
have started, So they've already gotten clearance. What's happening is
a permanent injunction hearing doesn't really change their particular status,
but there's going to be more evidence laid out, probably
experts taking the stand over the next couple of days,
and so it's unimportant in the sense that there's not

(35:35):
a lot on the line for the individuals in the case.
But this is going to lay the groundwork. It's going
to provide the raw material for the State Supreme Court
to take up months from now.

Speaker 6 (35:48):
So that raw material, Brad. That's been Froebel's defense is
that the record needs to be developed. You're not an attorney,
I'm not, but isn't that what a brief is for?
At the appellate level. All of this could go into
a brief both sides see the initial briefs. They rebrief boom,
you have a record. Seems like we wouldn't necessarily have

(36:08):
to have this trial, and as you've alluded to on
either side, wanted to. But does my thinking hold water?

Speaker 21 (36:15):
I mean, I think so. There's a very narrow scope here,
which is, of the three families in the Raleigh County case,
can their kids go to school based on the exemptions
that they've gotten from the Board of Health. The answer
that we all want the Supreme Court to weigh in

(36:35):
on eventually is how do you weigh or should you
weigh the balance between the religious exemptions law, which is
fairly broadly stated in state code, and the more specific,
narrowly tailored vaccination law. And I am not sure that
you necessarily need expert witnesses to describe that. I mean,

(36:59):
among the questions that could be addressed in court today
are how do you define religious beliefs? I have trouble
with that. I heard your segment with Happy. I mean,
your your religious beliefs to some degree are in your heart.
So what would be a legal standard of proof that

(37:19):
I have a certain belief that that may come out
in court today? Some of these kids are in RILEYGH County,
are almost adults. Some of them are entering are early
in their senior year of high school, so they are
late year minors and object to getting the booster shot.

(37:41):
But if you're that age, you know in my church
is probably as well as yours. You know you are,
you are considered an adult of faith in your teen years,
So shouldn't shouldn't those students be asked about what is
the basis of your religious belief rather than mom or dad?
And then this other issue that needs to be explored

(38:03):
is an aspect of the religious freedom law is a
compelling governmental interest? Well does that overlap with herd immunity?
Is it the same thing? And how do you prove
the levels necessary to achieve herd immunity? Which is I
think parallel to a compelling governmental interest?

Speaker 1 (38:26):
Mentioning state wide correspondent Brad McIlhenny Brad Yesterday lawmakers in
the interim committee meetings, it's got a presentation on PEIA.
It was from a national advisory consulting group. They went
through nine recommendations to improve and save money as far
as PEIA goes, we don't have time to get into
the weeds. But give me the overview of what lawmakers heard.

Speaker 21 (38:47):
Well, I think it's a worthy exercise. I am curious
about the reaction of one of your upcoming guests, Delegate
Matthew Roorbach, who is the Deputy Speaker. I think, you know,
he really understands these issues inside an out, and his
I think willingness to consider some of these bullet points
possibilities could carry a lot of weight. So there were

(39:08):
there were nine options, and we probably don't have time
for all of them, but if the state were to
somehow successfully implement all nine, then it was characterized as
potentially a fifty five million dollars in savings annually, and
that wouldn't be bad. The Morris the administration has suggested

(39:29):
that PEA costs to the state are going to go
up about fifty million dollars a year, so that would be,
you know, unequivalent, but it's also it's frankly a drop
in the bucket. Overall, the EIA costs are about a
billion dollars, So we're talking about fifty five million dollars
in savings versus about a billion dollars in overall costs.

(39:52):
Five percent, and then you know there are there are
some questions I think on the achievability of these nine
and it's a political body that's going to make these
decisions in the end, So is there a political.

Speaker 1 (40:05):
Cost for some of them? Guys?

Speaker 6 (40:07):
This thing is cover goes back. This is why Corporate
America uses consultants all the time. You bring someone in
like BDO or one of these other large companies. They
do a great job. But it's cover. So you can
say we tried everything we had to do. If it
didn't work, it's on the consultant. Or even if it
does move the needle and it doesn't move the needle enough,
it's the cover you need to say we did everything

(40:28):
that we possibly could before we have to really make
it hurt. I think that's one of the inevitable outcomes
of this exercise, Dave. You can agree or disagree.

Speaker 1 (40:36):
No, I would term it differently. I see what you're
saying as is it being cover. But if you are
going to do something to make it hurt, as you
say TJ, one of our first criticisms would be, well, well,
where's the data to back you up? Where's did you
try everything you've done? That's going to be one of
our first criticisms from them our vantage points. So you're right.
I guess you're right. Yeah, it's it's cover, it's cover.

(40:57):
They do put some they did put some data points
to some things, how much golp ones are costing, how
much of the cost is you know, how much of
the cost is you know, covering spouse is, how much
the cost is to cover non government employees that are
now covered under PEIA. We've talked about that as well,
So at least there's some data points you can reference

(41:21):
as lawmakers try to navigate this.

Speaker 6 (41:23):
Now, no kudos, and Brad, you talked about a fifty
million dollars annual savings, but I would bet the farm
that's not inflation adjusted. So it's going to buy you
a little time till that fifty million becomes sixty, becomes seventy, becomes.

Speaker 1 (41:33):
Eighty or what.

Speaker 21 (41:33):
You know.

Speaker 6 (41:34):
That's a little hyperbolic, but you get where I'm going
with that. It's going to buy you a little bit
of time. It's not going to buy you the long term,
and it's it's really a drop in the bucket. As
you said, Brad.

Speaker 21 (41:44):
I think it's a worthy exercise. I think keeping costs
down would be worthwhile for all involved a few questions.
You know, this was a presentation to the legislature. It
is not clear to me with many of these options
whether a law really needs to be produced and consider
by legislators or whether PA could just do this itself.
Some of these options and then some of them were

(42:08):
floated prior to legislative interims occurring, and that is that
was going to be part of a special session that
you might have heard of that has not happened. Still
presumably could happen maybe in October if there's some willingness.
But some of these options, I think legislators took a
look at them and did not decide to jump right in.

Speaker 1 (42:31):
That seems to be the theme of the day. Do
we need a do we need legislative action or not?
It seems to be seems to be the question around
everything today. We do not need a legislative action in
this segment. The clock is taking care of that. Brad
mclheney mention, your new state wide correspondent. Thank you very much, buddy,
appreciate it.

Speaker 21 (42:47):
Thank you. Adjourned.

Speaker 1 (42:48):
Coming up, we'll wrap up our number one, say what's
happening in our number two? Get to some text as well.
Three oh four Talk three oh four talk Line from
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Speaker 1 (44:23):
We are here. Text line is three oh four Talk

(44:51):
three oh four. Phone numbers eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two five five. Textra says, guys, it's why
we have circuit courts to settle issues. The Supreme Court
does not want cases shipped to them. I would ninety
nine percent of the time agree with you, but in
this I think this is an extraordinary circumstance. With the
vaccination law, schools already started. By the time we get

(45:14):
an answer to this, school is going to be over. Heck,
couple of these students may have actually graduated at this point.
An answer sooner rather than later would be warranted in
this case.

Speaker 6 (45:24):
In my opinion, Well, this is a precedential issue, right,
It's going to affect the entire state. You need some
kind of uniformity on it. So's it's getting there, just
how fast it gets there.

Speaker 1 (45:37):
Dave and TJ. Regarding Peia, my wife is pursuing her
education degree at a Maryland college and she will have
a choice between West Virginia and Maryland as far as
teaching goes. With all the Peia debacles. She has chosen
to go to Maryland school to work better pay, less
time to tenure, be vested, and better benefits. I would
prefer to come to West Virginia because we live right

(45:59):
on the Maryland West Virginia line. But it's a no
brainer at this point. Your story is not unique. We
hear that all the time in the border counties.

Speaker 6 (46:07):
And look, Maryland's not unique either. Family in Tennessee and education,
they blow us out of the water, from starting teacher
pay up, through master's pay, to incentives to insurance packages.

Speaker 1 (46:16):
They just pay more. Period, you have more money. I mean, look, dude,
we're never going to escape that fact. There is a
limited amount of resources. How you how you spend those
resources is up to the legislature. And even then, could
we ever get to the I guess we could teachj
but we'd have to take it from somewhere else, or
we'd have to raise raise revenue, and you know what

(46:39):
that means. So it goes back to what.

Speaker 6 (46:41):
Pac said yesterday, though, why are we in certain businesses
and certain things when we should focus. If we had
a more narrow focus, perhaps we could pay better in
those areas because we're not off doing all these other
things that we shouldn't be doing.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
Coming up telling at Matthew Roorbach will join us. We
will get his thoughts on Peia and ways to it,
and a little bit later on we'll also talk to
the well no flip that revers it, Matthew Robrock. Bottom
of the hour. Top of the hour, we'll talk to
the teacher and Service Personnel of the Year. That's coming up. Next.
You'll get you another cup of coffee, maybe a croissants.

(47:16):
It's bench your news talk line on Metro News, the
voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 3 (47:27):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance, encircling
you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit incova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (47:38):
Beta News talk Line from the Encoba Insurance Studios. Hour
number two. Dave Wilson, Morgantown, TJ. Meadows is in Charleston.
Phone number is eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight
hundred seven six five eight two five five. You can
text the show three oh four Talk three oh four.
That is the text line. Telegate Matthew Roarbach will join us.

(47:58):
Coming up. Bottom of the hour, we'll talk Peia with
Delegate ror Bok will get in many of your texts
as well. We've been neglecting them, but we'll get to them,
I promise. Eight hundred and seven and sixty five talk
and three or four talk three four. Yesterday, the twenty
twenty six Teacher and Service Personnel of the Year were
announced during the Celebration of Excellence and Education ceremony at

(48:22):
the West Virginia Culture Center. The program began in nineteen
sixty four, so West Virginia's longest running teacher recognition program.
The award is given to a teacher exemple devies the
positive qualities of public education. This year's Teacher of the
Year award I feel like I need a drum roll TJ.
This year's Teacher of the Year award went to Ohio
County teacher Tiffany Barnes, a special education teacher at Wheeling

(48:45):
Middle School. This year's School Service Personnel Award winner, which
was first introduced in twenty twenty four, goes to the
dedicated personnel within public schools, which includes individuals who are classroommids,
bus drivers, custodians, and more. The winner was custodian Brandon
Kelly at Washington District Elementary School in Upshur County. They
both join US an the COVID Insurance Studios from Charleston. Guys,

(49:08):
good morning, congratulations.

Speaker 24 (49:10):
Good morning, thank you, good morning, thank you.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
So first of all, Tiffany, what was the reaction when
you learned you were going to be Teacher of the Year. Oh,
I was.

Speaker 25 (49:21):
I was in total shock. Actually I was exciting.

Speaker 26 (49:24):
We had some five amazing finalists, but I was totally
whenever they said my name. We had the envelope opening
was just took a little too long, and we're all
waiting for the news and then they said my name
and I'm like, oh, that's me, that's my name.

Speaker 25 (49:38):
But yeah, it was incredible.

Speaker 1 (49:39):
Brandon, what was your reaction?

Speaker 24 (49:42):
It was definitely dream like, that's for sure. But it's
a very humbling experience. Everything from the ceremony, you know,
the color guard, the choir, and then all the suspense
that comes into the you know, opening of the envelope.
All of that is amazing. But again, you know, I

(50:03):
was in a field of highly respected people and so
each one was deserving of it, and I just feel
grateful that my name.

Speaker 6 (50:11):
Was called Tiffany. You could do a number of things
with your life. Why did you choose to become a teacher.

Speaker 26 (50:17):
Well, initially it was a schedule situation, so I hate
to say that was where I started. But once I
had my first moment, it's special education as a sub
in Ohio County Schools, which is a Wheeling Park was
the high school at the time my first day. There
After I got home, I was like, Okay, this is
what I'm doing for the rest of my life. This
was incredible and I was glad that I got introduced

(50:40):
to that moment because now it's a career path.

Speaker 25 (50:43):
I couldn't even think of not doing.

Speaker 6 (50:46):
Brandon a lot of careers. Why work in the school system?

Speaker 24 (50:50):
Well, education is something that's been in my family for
a long time, aunts and uncles and even my grandfather,
and then my father was a custodian with the school
system as well, and I went to college at first
to be a history education teacher, and then things just

(51:11):
kind of happen, and then I found my way to
the Board of Education, but in the role of a
custodian instead, and I love it and I love where
I'm at, and it's a wonderful opportunity to make a.

Speaker 1 (51:22):
Difference Tiffany Barnes, the teacher of the Air, Brandon Kelly,
the service personnel of the Air, joining us on Metro
News talk Line this morning. Tiffany, not only are you
in special education, I heard you talking about your students
during your speech. You work with non verbal students. So
how satisfying gratifying is it to watch them grow and

(51:44):
make the see them make progress not just in school
but in their lives.

Speaker 26 (51:50):
Oh, it is absolutely the most incredible and captivating, rewarding
thing I could even imagine. It's hard to explain the
magnitude of those moments and absolutely why I show up
every day excited to come to work because these these kids,

(52:10):
although nonverbal, they have a lot to say.

Speaker 1 (52:13):
They have.

Speaker 26 (52:15):
More things to say and to teach than I even
do for them on a daily basis. But watching them
grow finding their words and different methods, you know, sometimes
they find their words in pictures, Sometimes they find their
words and devices that they have. Sometimes they just show
you and little acts of what they're trying to say.

(52:37):
And when those connections are made and the things that
they've been trying to say all along comes across, it
just changes the outcome of the day, the year, their life,
and they just start thriving and growing when they know
that their voice is going somewhere, even if it's not.

Speaker 25 (52:58):
Saying what they needed to say.

Speaker 1 (53:00):
Brandon, I mean, this is the best way possible. Hear
me out here. You're like the offensive lineman of education. Right, Quarterbacks, receivers,
they get all the glory, they get a nobody mentions
the offensive line until they hold and get something. You know,
something goes wrong, right, but the school system doesn't run
if you guys aren't there to make it run.

Speaker 24 (53:22):
Yeah, I would agree with that. Being a custodian is
a challenging job, and it's not a job that encompasses
a lot of glory, you know, But I feel grateful
to be able to play that role. And it is
nice to know that even though sometimes there isn't all
the recognition that maybe we would like to have, it

(53:45):
is nice to know that we're appreciated and that, you know,
we're a vital part of our schools. And I firmly
believe that each person in the service personnel field is
a vital part of a school's existence and success. So,
you know, I'm glad that we finally have a chance
to get some credit. I was reading about your role,

(54:07):
Brandon as a student mentor. Do you feel the role
that you have in the job that you do, does
it allow you to have a deeper relationship one on
one with maybe a handful of students, so you can
you can find students that maybe need an extra helping
hand and click into that.

Speaker 1 (54:23):
Talk about that.

Speaker 24 (54:24):
Yeah, that's absolutely the truth. One of the things about
me is I'm gravitated towards the students that maybe struggle
a little bit more than the others. And part of
that is because I can reflect to my own education
and my own struggles. But then also it's watching my

(54:46):
own children go through their educational adventure. But I gravitate
towards that, and in my heart, I believe that just
because they struggle, it doesn't mean that they aren't created
for a wonderful purpose. And I think it's a it's
a great, a great thing to be able to demonstrate
to them that they can do great things in their

(55:07):
life and it doesn't have to fit a mold, and
it's okay to struggle, and it's okay to not always
have it together, but they can still do something amazing
with themselves. So I consider myself fortunate to be in
that position.

Speaker 6 (55:21):
Tiffany, you're a two time EREC War veteran.

Speaker 1 (55:24):
I read you were an MP.

Speaker 25 (55:26):
Yes, uh huh.

Speaker 1 (55:26):
How did that prepare you to be a teacher?

Speaker 25 (55:28):
Oh, there's a.

Speaker 26 (55:30):
Lot of preparation that that that until I was in
the classroom environ, I didn't realize. But so I always
tell people just because my students are nonverbal doesn't mean
my classroom's quiet. And there's a lot of things that
come along with specific special needs students that that's challenging
at times and challenges to me. I always say, like,

(55:53):
I thrive in chaos because a million things could be
going on, and I'm just like, that's that's that's nothing.

Speaker 1 (55:59):
This is nothing.

Speaker 25 (56:00):
This is this is.

Speaker 26 (56:01):
Absolutely the very minimal thing when you experience things like
war and devastation and having a kid that needs something
a little extra is absolutely the most insignificant thing I
could think of. And so the experiences I've had worldly
and in the military, especially leadership skills, those things. My

(56:24):
resilience is one of the big things. You never know
what's going to happen when you come into a classroom,
especially mine, and when things change, we just adapt to them,
and that's probably like the biggest thing in the military
is adapt and overcome, and that's like what you have
to do in a classroom. But I look at the

(56:44):
kids and obviously all the crazy things that are going on,
and it's like, this is peaceful, because I feel like
to experience real peace, you have to know what it's
like for there to not be peace, and that definitely
is a peaceful moment. And I'm really fortunate to have
experienced that because I think it gives me a far
easier feel in the classroom then I feel like some

(57:09):
may not always receive.

Speaker 1 (57:11):
Tiffany Barnes is joining US Wheeling Middle School special education teacher.
She's the teacher of the Year here in West Virginia.
Brandon Kelly custodium at Washington District Elementary School in Upshur
County Service Personnel of the Year. Tiffany, what other activities
are involved in with the school outside the classroom and
in the community.

Speaker 26 (57:29):
So we have in our school, we have a Girls
on the Run team. That's a team that we coach.
It's like a all encompassing women's girls program and we
do that in the spring season.

Speaker 25 (57:45):
I also coach flag football. I coach softball.

Speaker 26 (57:48):
I am one of the leadership members of Team Red,
White and Blue of Wheeling. I am a chairman for
the football moms at my oldest son's school. I do
breeces across America and a couple of locations in our
local cemeteries. And goodness, I feel like I wear a

(58:09):
lot of hats throughout the year, I think, But mainly
I can tell you that I don't. But my my
three kids definitely, they the three of them, keep me
pretty busy when I'm not in school. But yeah, it's
we We do a lot of community stuff and connections
and things with our church, so I I love it.
I love all the things that we do.

Speaker 1 (58:30):
Yeah, Brandon, what are you involved in? Well?

Speaker 24 (58:34):
I am a pastor of a church back at home
in Upshire County and also a parent of four kids.

Speaker 1 (58:43):
I are.

Speaker 24 (58:44):
One of our daughters is in the Special Olympics and
so we work with her in the Special Olympics. And
then also I have a volunteer prison ministry that I
that I work with and work in, and there's just
a few other things that I kind of do often
on in the school. The guidance counselor and I have

(59:06):
a program for the young men in the school called
Men of Honor and or Boys to Men is what
we call it now and then. And so we work
with the boys and try to help them, you know,
find manly things and skills and to learn what it
means to kind of grow into yourself as a young man.
So that's a really great thing to be involved in

(59:28):
as well.

Speaker 6 (59:29):
Both of you have talked about church your faith. Tiffany,
I'll start with you, how does your faith make you
a good teacher?

Speaker 26 (59:38):
I think believing in something period like my faith, or
or believing in anything, it gives you the ability to
like to know that there is a purpose for things
that are going on, there's something to thank someone to
be appreciative for, and there's miracles day daily and I

(01:00:02):
experience them.

Speaker 25 (01:00:02):
And there's no way that.

Speaker 26 (01:00:05):
That the things that I experience isn't from something far
greater than me. And and I believe one hundred percent
that that comes from from God for sure.

Speaker 24 (01:00:16):
Brands is hard to see at times, definitely, And I
think that my reliance on you know, the Bible and
on my faith, it also gives me the tools and
the opportunity to help the kids that I can help,
but it also helps me navigate all the struggles that
I have in my in my own work day or
in my own you know, the mountains that I have

(01:00:38):
to climb. You know, there are days where people get discouraged,
days where you feel like your job doesn't matter or
you don't matter, And I feel like, you know, my
faith helps me realize that there's always a greater purpose
to everything and that even even the hard times are temporary.
So I feel like that gives me a great asset

(01:01:00):
to help people, but also to navigate all the things
that I deal with in day to day life.

Speaker 1 (01:01:06):
Tiffany Barnes Wheeling at middle school, a special education teachers.
She's your teacher of the Year from Ohio County. Brandon Kelly,
he's your Service personnel of the Year custodian at Washington
District Elementary School in Upshurre County. So what responsibility do
you guys have responsibilities now once you assume your roles
in January? What I mean I mean is there is

(01:01:26):
there a job description that goes with these titles.

Speaker 26 (01:01:29):
Oh, well, I know that we're going to continue to
find out more and more of the things that we're
going to be responsible for But I think just in
representing West Virginia is just that that's a huge responsibility
in itself. And then I just hope that I do
it well because we have incredible, incredible staff and teachers,

(01:01:53):
and I can't even begin to explain how grateful I
am to be able to try to do my best
and represent them.

Speaker 6 (01:02:02):
Brandon, before you weigh in for both of you, Tiffany
to you, does this give you a platform because we
have problems. Let's be honest, we have problems in education.
So can you can both of you use this as
a platform to talk to our leaders, to talk to
those in charge of our educational endeavors, the legislature, others
about what needs to change in West Virginia.

Speaker 26 (01:02:22):
Well, we kind of discussed that before we came over.
Here is the things that we want to basically stand
for and stand on, and I will definitely do my
best to advocate for autism with this going forward, and
special education, and as far as changes that need to

(01:02:44):
be made or not made, I know that there are
there are a lot of things that need to be
that need highlighted. So specifically, what I hope to be
able to do is to show the things that are
actually shining brightly that people don't see. So and know
that although there are a lot of things that need

(01:03:05):
to change, there's a lot of amazing changes that have
been made already, and there are things that are going
on that people don't see, and so I would love
for everyone to be able to see those things and
absolutely advocate for autism and special education and the nonverbal
community and the ability to be able to, you know,

(01:03:30):
not have to fit into this mold that people think
to have to be a teacher and let other people
know that care and compassion is all you need to
start your career path for that and to do it.

Speaker 24 (01:03:41):
You know, I'm very excited to be able to jump
in to representing not just Upshore County, but you know,
the service personnel is a collective and I feel very
honored to do that. My hope is is that I
can do a good job making the voices of the

(01:04:02):
service personnel heard. But also one of the things that
I really hope to accomplish at the end of this
tenure is I want the service personnel to realize that
they play a more important role in the lives with
the students than they probably realize and that kind of
echoes back to some experiences that I've had where some

(01:04:25):
of the people that have made the most difference in
the lives of children that I love have been service personnel,
and I hope that I can encourage every person in
that category to never give up and to never think
that they're they're not important.

Speaker 1 (01:04:44):
Brandon Cally, custodian at Boston District Elementary School in Upshur County,
Service Personnel of the Year. Tiffany Barnes Wheeling at Middle
School special Education teacher and Teacher of the Year. Guys, congratulations,
thanks for stopping by and spending a few minutes with
us this morning.

Speaker 25 (01:04:58):
Well, thank you so much for having I was absolutely
my pleasure.

Speaker 24 (01:05:01):
Thank you, It's been a pleasure.

Speaker 1 (01:05:03):
Absolutely. Talk line continues in a moment.

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Speaker 16 (01:06:37):
Football season is here. Get Mountaineer football coverage and watch
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Speaker 1 (01:07:28):
Texter says, congratulations Tiffany and Brandon, best segment on talk
line and quite some time. All right, thank you and
congratulations well. Texas says, Simplify Tiffany citty Net protects businesses
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(01:07:51):
your network running, and your business connected. Visit sittingnet dot
net to learn more. Remember sitting net connects, protects and
perfects text lines four Talk three or four phone numbers
eight hundred and seven and sixty five talk. We have
open segments coming up. Toward the end of the hour.
Other side of the news break, Delegate Matthew Roorbach will
join us CABAL County Delegate. We'll get to his take

(01:08:11):
go on yesterday's PEIA presentation. The good ideas, the not
so good ideas. Ideas. We've tried ideas that may work.
We'll get into all of that coming up on the
other side of the news. Plenty of text messages to
get to as well. At three or four talk three
oh four. Uh oh oh, here's a good question. Ponder

(01:08:34):
this question, TJ. We'll get to it in a little bit.
Texter says, if you two could change one or two
things about how Governor Morrisey governs, what would you change,
asks the Texter. Ponder that. We'll have answers possible. Talk
about a setup before the end of the show. Yeah,
he's trying to get us in trouble, is what he's
trying to do. Delicate. Matthew Rohbach joining us next. This

(01:08:58):
is talk line from the COVID Insurance studio on Metro
News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia. It
is eleven thirty. Time to get the news update. Let's
check in with the Metro News radio network, West Virginia
Metro News. I'm Chris Lawrence.

Speaker 29 (01:09:16):
A Raleigh County judge is pushing forward with the hearing
today in Raleigh County Circuit Court. Judge Michael Froebel hearing
the arguments in a multi day hearing over a sought
out injunction for vaccine issues from two different sides. Those
include two cases, one from Raleigh County, another from Kenawa County.

Speaker 21 (01:09:33):
The two cases have overlapped, but they have different parties
and different legal arguments, so Froebel, in essence, we'll be
hearing them in parallel.

Speaker 29 (01:09:41):
That's Metro News reporter Brad mclhaney who is following those developments,
the cruxt of which is whether there is religious freedom
to exempt people from vaccinating their children to get them
into public schools in the Mountain State. Meanwhile, State Treasurer
Larry Packs as they anticipate it will cost less to
fund the Hope Scholarship than originally thought, Treasurer's office projecting

(01:10:02):
a need for two hundred and forty four dollars, but
that's only if one hundred percent of the newly eligible
students participate. Treasure Pack says he doesn't think that will
include everybody.

Speaker 5 (01:10:12):
It's a little bit of a hard thing to pin
down because we really don't know how many parents and
students would take advantage of the program. I believe this
is our best estimate today, So we wanted to get
it out to the legislature to the Governor's budget team
as soon as possible, and.

Speaker 29 (01:10:29):
He says they'll recheck those numbers in December, but doubts
that they will be too far off from what they
are currently. You're listening to Metro News for forty years
the Boys of West Virginia.

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Speaker 29 (01:11:40):
A national firm that examines health insurance costs. As PIA
could enjoy an annual savings of fifty five million dollars
if a number of different options were implemented. Lawmakers on
the Joint Standing Committee of PEIA heard nine different options
from a representative of BDO USA Tuesday, the final day
of their interim meetings. Governor Patrick more he has been

(01:12:00):
in talks with the lawmakers about a number of possible
fixes to the program. From the Metro News anchored ask,
I'm Chris Lawrence.

Speaker 1 (01:12:33):
Interim committee meetings have wrapped up for the month of September.
Lawmakers will be back in October for another round of
interim meetings. Yesterday, lawmaker's heard from a national advisory firm
an extensive list of choices that can improve the finances
of the Public Employees Insurance Agency. Of course you know
them Mespeia. Those included possibilities like removing non state employees

(01:12:56):
from eligibility and bolstering fraud detection capabilities. There was a
lot of data, There was a lot of information. Among
the lawmakers taking all of that in was Dr Matthew Roorbach,
Cable County Delegate. He joins us on Metro News talk line.
Doctor Roorbach, good morning, Thanks for joining us.

Speaker 19 (01:13:13):
Good morning to you, David TJ.

Speaker 1 (01:13:15):
So, there was a lot of information in this presentation.
There were nine recommendations that were presented. First of all,
what do you do with all this information now that
you have it?

Speaker 19 (01:13:27):
Well, this has been a process that the legislature is
engaged BDO and we wanted a comprehensive evaluation of exactly
where are we at with PEA, and we wanted it
benchmarked against other states private programs and to really see

(01:13:48):
where we're at. And this is about six months of
work that you saw presented yesterday, and now I think
we were going to try to distill it down to
what we can do to improve PEI. We want a
quality plan for our employees and we want to plan
the de fiscally sound.

Speaker 1 (01:14:12):
Doc.

Speaker 6 (01:14:12):
I want to get into some of these recommendations. There
were nine, so you can address the first one. I'm
going to mention and bring up any others that you
want to. But I looked at the numbers, right, what's
going to save us the most money, That's what's stuck
out first, and that was point number nine, by my
reckoning twenty million dollars. We could use total family income
for rate tiering on PEIA. Is that politically possible?

Speaker 19 (01:14:36):
Well at this point in time, probably not. Uh, that
has been looked at in the past, and total family
income would be an aggregate income for the family that
we could use to distermine what tier they're in. You know,

(01:14:58):
the legislature looked at that once, six seven, eight years
ago and it didn't go anywhere then. And that's going
to be a pretty tough lift politically. I'm not saying
that we shouldn't consider it. I think we should consider
all options. But that's a tough one.

Speaker 1 (01:15:17):
What about reducing the number of non state employees memberships?
Can you how would you go about that?

Speaker 19 (01:15:24):
Okay, at this time, about fifteen percent of the covered
lives are in the non state employee category or retirem category.
Now we've got a little different relationship there. Let's say
that the Montagey County Commission buys into PEA. They get

(01:15:47):
one bill a year a month actually, and then how
they divide the premiums between the you know, what the
cost share is with the employees is up to them.
So first of all, they've got a little different relationship. Now,
one of the things that became very clear when we
looked at the data, they have one hundred percent medical

(01:16:09):
loss ratio, and a medical loss ratio means the amount
of money that's brought in in premiums that is spent
on healthcare. Well, for the PEIA state plan that amounts
to a ninety two percent medical loss ratio. On the
other hand, on the non state at one hundred percent,

(01:16:34):
means those plans aren't paying anything at the current towards
the administrative cost And I think that's one of the
things that we need to look at. I think if
we're going to continue to stay in the insurance business
for non state employee entities, then we need them to
pitch in part of the administrative costs.

Speaker 6 (01:16:55):
Would it be as simple as saying they need to
match whatever the state is doing. You mentioned ninety two
percent I think for the state, so should the counties
I have to meet that.

Speaker 19 (01:17:02):
I think that's I think that's more than reasonable. I
have no problem with that. And then if they can
get a better deal in the private market, they can
get a better deal. But that's another slide that we
went over yesterday that our administrative costs for PEIA or
between three and four percent. A typical private plan the

(01:17:25):
administrative costs for about twelve percent. So it is a
fantastic bargain that we just need the counties, the municipalities,
and the nonprofits to pay into the administration of the plan,
which currently they're not doing.

Speaker 1 (01:17:44):
Talking to doctor Matthew Robach, Cabal County Delegate lawmakers taking
in a presentation on PEIA possible PEIA improvements, doctor Roback,
will you have to eventually address prescription medications. One of
the data points that was pointed at out yesterday. One
of the slides was that specialty medications we're talking you know,

(01:18:05):
GLP ones, ozempic, those sorts of things, including some others,
but they make up one percent of total scripts, but
comprise forty two percent of the cost. And flip that
around a generics account for twelve percent of the cost,
eighty nine percent of total scripts. I'm not sure how,
but will you need to address that.

Speaker 19 (01:18:24):
Well, boy, you've just hit the nail right on the head.
Let me give you some numbers about PEI Currently. In
fiscal year twenty four, our spend was one billion, fifty
eight million dollars.

Speaker 12 (01:18:38):
Of that, four.

Speaker 19 (01:18:42):
Four hundred million dollars were prescriptions. Had thirty eight percent
of our total cost, almost as much as hospital costs,
which was four hundred and nineteen million, which was forty percent.
Physician services were twenty percent. We had had tremendous growth
in the last ten years, so that's thirty eight percent

(01:19:04):
of the total cost to the program for prescription drugs.
If you went back ten years ago, that cost was
about twenty percent. So clearly the national trend of increasing
prescription drug costs, particularly specially drugs, is what has been
the real cost driver, not only to PEIA but to

(01:19:26):
all insurance plans. So that's one of the things that
became very clear in our report that we're in the
same boat that a lot of other plans are in.
Actually most plans are in. So I think we've got
to work diligently to look at things like multi state
buying groups, you know, and the governor has some ideas

(01:19:47):
that he presented to the legislature that we can use
to try to negotiate better. Because if we can't get
a handle on the prescription drugs, I'm afraid that the
great that they've been increasing, we're doomed to just see
hire and hire costs for PEI.

Speaker 6 (01:20:07):
Is there an opportunity and I'm getting into water here
that I don't fully know how to tread docs, so
cut me some slack. Is there an opportunity to segment
out the prescription drug benefit and somehow run that independently
and maybe that can be more efficient or is it
a means of on the actual care side. Do you

(01:20:28):
take some of that away in order to fund a
separate drug benefit plan? Because it it just seems even
in reading this report, even the levers that I see
talked about going to Canada for some drugs, talked about
doing some renegotiation. We're talking one to three million dollars annually, which,
as you all know, isn't going to move the needle.
Is there a way to peel that out, segment it out,

(01:20:49):
and somehow bring down efficiencies, whether it's multi state plans
as you talked about, I just I'm struggling to find
any lever that we can actually use to better this situation.

Speaker 19 (01:21:00):
Well, the infuriating thing to me is that if you
go to Europe, you go to Canada, these same drugs
typically cost a third to a half of what they
cost in the US the last time. I why, frankly,
because the government has pressed the federal The government at

(01:21:22):
the third federal level has pressed the lever of saying
this is all we're going to pay, and the pharmaceutical
companies go along with it. Whereas in the US you're
just starting to see the tip of the iceberg with
the Medicare negotiations. They did fifteen drugs the last year
the Biden administration. They did ten more the first year
the Trump administration. They're going to do ten more next year.

(01:21:45):
That should, hopefully as we negotiate the prices lower for Medicare.
Usually whatever CNS is able to do will filter back
through Medicaid and it'll filter into private plans. So we've got,
I think, diligently work with our federal officials to try
to get the cost of prescription drugs more in line

(01:22:07):
with what other industrialized nations pay. I understand why it's
subsiher In Africa, aids medications cost two cents of pills.
Fully understand that, but I don't understand why some of
this stuff is a third to cost in Europe that
it is here. And so I think a lot of
the problems with the cost of prescription drugs the solutions

(01:22:29):
are going to lay at the federal level now. In
the meantime, I'm committed as a state to do as
much as we can do now. The way Peia is organized,
we are a self insured insurance plan. We hire a
third party administrator to do the claims management currently that's
um ARE. Then we hire a PBM to do our

(01:22:50):
prescription management and that currently is ESI. We did that
every so often to try to get the best cost
that we can. In other words, that's why the administrative
cost tends to be really low with PEI, because we
bit it out and get competitive bidding. But the real
problem tends to be the costs of the pharmaceuticals. So

(01:23:11):
we do have a prescription manager that manages that for us,
but we change that periodically. But I think any significant
relief is going to have to come at a federal level.

Speaker 1 (01:23:23):
Doctor Matthew Robach, Cable County Delicate, joining us here on
Metro News talk Line this morning. How much of what
was presented yesterday would require legislative action or could some
of this be done administratively?

Speaker 19 (01:23:37):
Well the answer some of both. I do think for
the fraud Detection Unit, which I strongly favor of, we
probably need some legislation there. If we're going to put
penalties in place, which I have no problem with penalties.
If you deliberately try to defraud the insurance company and
you're defrauding the state, there should be some financial or

(01:24:01):
penal charges. That probably does require some legislation. A good
bit of this a different way to negotiate with pdms
and things of that nature. Yeah, I think the Finance
Board can do some of that. I think as far
as dealing with the one hundred percent medical loss ratio
for the counties and the cities and the nonprofits, I

(01:24:25):
think that can be dealt with probably through premium adjustments
through the Finance Board. And I will add now, but
they do pay a different premium. So we really run
two dual plans. Now, we run the state employee plan
and then we run the plan for the non state employees,
and they're charged differently currently, but we need to get

(01:24:48):
up to where they are helping to pay for some
of the administrative.

Speaker 6 (01:24:50):
Costs and plan on a fraud units. And I agree
with you, we don't want fraud, but shouldn't we put
that on UMR. Shouldn't they already be doing that as
a third par already administrator? Or am I being unfair
and saying they should do something that they have no
responsibility to do?

Speaker 19 (01:25:06):
Yes and no. There's two parts to fraud. Typically in healthcare,
you've got provider fraud, meaning that you've got people billing
for medical services that were never delivered. That is probably
a little bit more, or they could be double billing
or things of that nature. That's probably more on the

(01:25:27):
third party administrator. Then you've got a whole other aspect
of frankly, employee fraud, claiming that their expouse is still
you know, they don't tell someone that they got divorced
and they're still on the plan years later. That's where

(01:25:50):
you typically have another type of firm that will do
audits to see if people still meet eligibility criteria. So
there's two levels to fraud detection. A part of it
would fall on EMR or I'm the um R, but
then part of it would probably fall on it yet

(01:26:11):
to be determined company that actually does eligibility on it,
and that those are pretty common in self insured insurance
plans in the private sector.

Speaker 1 (01:26:22):
Doctor Matthew Roherbach, Cabull County Delegate. We appreciate the insights
and I'm sure we'll have more of these conversations as
we get closer to the legislative session.

Speaker 19 (01:26:30):
Thank you so much this morning, and thank you for
having me in anytime. I'll be happy to be on
the show and share any knowledge that we have about PI.

Speaker 1 (01:26:39):
Absolutely appreciate it, Doctor Matthew Roherbach, Cabull County Delegate, Take
a break, come back. This is talk Line Metro News
from the in COVID Insurance Studios.

Speaker 20 (01:26:49):
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Speaker 1 (01:27:19):
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Speaker 3 (01:28:00):
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final break, wrap things up. We'll try to answer the
Texters question from a moment ago as well. It's talk
Line from the Encode Insurance Studios.

Speaker 16 (01:28:49):
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(01:29:11):
Television is powered by the University of Charleston, the West
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Speaker 31 (01:29:21):
Sports Governor Patrick Morrissey a set of very bold goal
fifty gigawatts of new energy capacity by twenty fifty. Thanks
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be upgraded to run longer, stronger, and more efficiently, thus
delivering reliable, affordable baseload power our families and businesses will

(01:29:44):
be able to count on. West Virginia Coal Association President
Chris Hamilton stated Governor Morrissey's plan to grow West Virginia's
energy generation capacity to fifty gigawatts by twenty fifty is
a dynamic approach to economic development which will super chow
large our state's coal industry and broader economy. With Governor
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(01:30:08):
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Speaker 1 (01:30:41):
Three of four Talk three or four of the text
line Texter asked earlier, TJ. If you could change one
or two things about how Governor Morrisey governs, what would
you change? Dare you wade into the water. Gonna let
me go first? I wrote my mine down. Okay, what
is this like password or something? Maybe gotta lock in

(01:31:01):
your answer.

Speaker 6 (01:31:02):
It's got to be and have more focus on being
a CEO. He's not the Attorney general anymore. It's time
would passed that role and figure out how to meaningfully
move West Virginia forward, jobs, jobs, jobs. You got to
get out there and sell West Virginia. Like we heard
at the business summit, it's not happening. I don't see
wins on the board. Got to be out there are
governors in other states. They are out there pounding the
pavement with Corporate America, trying to attract the next big thing.

(01:31:24):
And finally, these press conferences. Can't just announce we're having
a press conference in Wieling at two pm and not
tell the media what it's about. You want us to
show up, tell us what you're going to talk about.
There you go three things.

Speaker 1 (01:31:34):
I think the governor works very hard. I do think
he has the best interest of the state of heart.
I agree with that, and he needs to continue to
work and strengthen relationships with the legislature. If we're going
to do the things you're talking about, we're going to
improve Peia, if we are going to pass some meaningful
economic development legislation, strengthen those relationships. Strengthen those ties, and

(01:31:57):
I think you can see some of the things are
to happen. One thing I think Morcy has always had
against him is he's been in the public spotlight for
what twelve years he was in turn ger Yeah, it
kind of feels like he's been He's only been in
office less than a year. Jim Justice didn't have the
big wins in office until really a second term in office.

(01:32:18):
There now a lot of things happened to the different
situation he inherited. I get all that, But strengthen those relationships.
Build those relationships with the lawmakers who you need to
get some of this major legislation that you want to
major initiatives through that you want to get done. And
I think we can see some progress.

Speaker 6 (01:32:35):
Get a few big wins and are always forgotten. But Justine,
you know how, you know how the tide turns. Get
a few big wins, put them on the board. Always forgotten.

Speaker 1 (01:32:43):
Hey, just like U, Just like football, right, ww wins.
Nobody remembers the Ohio game. If they win this Saturday
and then all the rest of them, nobody remembers the
Ohio game. Let me see, all right, let me get
a text or two in here, three or four talk
three oh four or uh all right, I'm going to

(01:33:03):
try to summarize three text all in one and give
you sixty seconds to j why do we pay more
for prescription drugs? It's capitalism's fault.

Speaker 6 (01:33:11):
Go yeah, because capitalism didn't produce anything anything in the
last one hundred years that made your life better. Everyone
alive today lives better, has more options for healthcare, entertainment,
you name it than what John D. Rockefeller the first had,
and he was the richest guy per capita inflation adjusted

(01:33:32):
that you'll ever find. Capitalism brings jobs and opportunity and
new things and innovation. Are pharmaceuticals outrageous right now?

Speaker 1 (01:33:39):
Yes?

Speaker 6 (01:33:40):
Do we need to change that and figure out how
to make them more affordable? Sure, I'm down with that.
But all these pills that help us, all these medical procedures,
medical devices that have given us these innovations and allow
us to live longer, capitalism spawned all of that, end
of story.

Speaker 1 (01:33:56):
If all these other countries are paying under market value,
somebody's got to pay over market value to make up
the difference. Right, And if a company, if you continue
to sell your product for under market value, do you
continue to make that product question mark? No, exactly.

Speaker 6 (01:34:13):
We need to do a better job of negotiation, that's fair. Sure, Sure,
I you know each shocked me that we weren't allowed
to negotiate when we need a legal change to do that.
That that is a government at its finest. I'll leave
it there. How about that?

Speaker 1 (01:34:27):
That is where we will leave it for today. The
music says we have to all right, coming up Metro
News Midday. Many of these same Metro News radio stations
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