New Research Highlights Free Speech Violations on WV Campuses An analysis of speech restrictions at West Virginia’s four-year colleges and universities has shown widespread violations of free speech. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), where I worked for five years, found close to 100 policies restricting students’ fundamental rights.   Legal Requirements for…

All the Money in the World and No Place to Spend It? Between COVID relief funds and budget surpluses, West Virginia is flush with cash, perhaps to an extent unlike any time in its history. The prudent question must be how the state will spend – or, better yet, invest – heretofore unappropriated monies to…

Gas Prices Are Rising Across the Nation As of May 19th, all 50 states had a retail price for gas over $4 a gallon. According to AAA, Oklahoma provided the cheapest gas to Americans at $4.03 per gallon, while the most expensive gas, averaging $6.06 per gallon, was found in California. The rising cost of…

Hope Scholarship Rules Are a Good Start On April 18, 2022, the Hope Scholarship Board passed an amended version of the rules to govern the Hope Scholarship. These rules are governing the program as emergency rules, pending final approval by the state legislature. These rules are not perfect but they do provide an excellent foundation…

Election Season ‘Tis the season…    If you’re into politics, that is.   Doors are being knocked on. Stump speeches are ringing throughout communities. Ads are on TV, radio, and all over the Internet. Candidate mailers are hitting mailboxes. Citizens dutifully head to their local ballot boxes. “I Voted!” stickers are being proudly worn.   …

Imagination is a curious thing, something inborn, but sadly, for most adults, it fades over time. The ability for one to conceive of a different, better world becomes more difficult for adults as the reality of life, with all its setbacks and disappointments, settles in. This is especially true in geographic areas like my own…

Location Shouldn't Determine Health Care Access "A zip code shouldn't determine your future." It's common to hear this phrase during discussions about education and school choice. But why should the freedom to choose what's best for your family stop with education? Families should be able to have the same freedom when it comes to their…

Not Everyone Wants Families to Choose Their Child's Education People who think they know better than parents often seek to challenge programs aimed at empowering families. When West Virginia passed the Hope Scholarship, it was lauded by supporters as an opportunity to help invest in children who need help. Since the Hope Scholarship began receiving…

[maxbutton id="1" url="https://www.hopescholarshipwv.com/Home" text="Apply Now!" ] What is the Hope Scholarship? West Virginia parents now have more flexibility and choices to educate their children. The Hope Scholarship, passed in the Legislature during the 2021 Regular Session, is a portion of state-allocated educational dollars that funds a student for use on a range of state-approved educational…

Closing Remarks, NSCW Rally (These remarks were delivered by Garrett Ballengee at the closing celebration of West Virginia’s week-long National School Choice Week festivities on Thursday, January 27, 2022 at the West Virginia Capitol.)   First, I would like to thank everyone who attended today’s closing celebration of this week’s National School Choice Week activities…