Scope of Practice Conference in West Virginia Last week, I had the opportunity to join friends and fellow policy wonks in Morgantown for two jam-packed days of research presentations and discussions about scope of practice regulations in health care. This conference, co-hosted by our friends at the Knee Regulatory Research Center and Pacific Legal Foundation…

What is Pressure? Pressure is a fascinating concept, whether it is in the physical sciences, deep sea dives, leadership, decision making, or any number of other applications.  What exactly is pressure? How should leaders use it?   According to Brittanica, the definition of pressure in the physical sciences is, “the perpendicular force per unit area,…

Please Follow Along in Your Bible…?   Legislation across the nation which includes the Bible in public school curriculums is causing alarm among those who wish to see religion banished from the classroom. States including Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Idaho have added provisions to their standards that include things like displaying the 10 Commandments in…

Happy Independence Day!   How Americans Celebrate Independence Day Every year, millions of Americans gather around tables, grills, and backyards to celebrate the founding of our great country. After a day of baseball games and parades, most every town of any decent size will cap off the Fourth of July with a fireworks display, representing…

Birthdays Are Special On June 20, 2024, the great State of West Virginia celebrated its 161st birthday. On June 24, 2024, the author of this blog celebrated his 37th birthday. I have always enjoyed birthdays and the concomitant celebrations. Until this year, I’ve not really given much thought as to why I have always had…

Snakes and Sparklers: An Economics Lesson I’m a firm believer that economics is everywhere. And we can learn the lessons of the discipline from even the most unlikely of sources. But first, I’ll begin with a more likely source, 1976 Nobel Laureate, Milton Friedman. In his 1993 essay, Why Government is the Problem, published by…

Responding to The WV Watch In a recent commentary piece, the WV Watch puts West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship squarely in its sights and holds no punches.  Here’s where they got it wrong.     Do the Math  The WV Watch claims that West Virginia’s schools need more money.   Like most states, West Virginia spends roughly…

Bullying: Every Person's Worst Nightmare It is every family’s worst nightmare, but it is the life the Teusch are living after their 10-year old son Sammy took his own life due to bullying at school. Sammy’s family says that the local school system, Greenfield-Central Community Schools in Greenfield, Indiana, was part of the problem. The…

Tribalism is a Human Impulse In an election year, it’s hard to avoid lamentations about tribalism and the general negative effect it has on the national discourse. I’m inclined to agree in most instances, especially when this political tribalism seems to distract our elected officials from grappling with major issues facing the country. So obviously,…

Primary Elections Are Over On Tuesday, May 14, West Virginians went to the polls to cast their votes in the 2024 primary election. In a deep red – or blue – state, the primary election simply matters more than the general election as the general contest is, normally, non-competitive. Thus, it is highly unlikely that…