Politics shouldn't get in the way of democracy.

Early voting in the special Senate primary starts Friday.

Maintaining the status quo in education is not an option.

Fiscal responsibility is important for today's leaders.

The Greenbrier Classic shows what West Virginians can do.

The first-annual event reintroduced The Greenbrier to the world.

The Mountain State's political landscape has changed dramatically.

Sen. Robert Byrd was a champion for West Virginia.

Recently released statistics showing Charleston and Huntington with the most smokers are alarming.

West Virginia teachers unions want the state to ignore $8 billion in health care liabilities.

Keep servicemen and women in your thoughts and prayers.

Bray Cary takes a trip into a coal mine on this week's edition of Decision Makers.

High school students across the state are getting ready for graduation and the celebrations that follow.

Education takes center stage across West Virginia.

State legislators should follow the Governor's lead on education.

After several months, the West Virginia Public Service Commission has failed to render a decision.

The Upper Big Branch Mine tragedy shows the nation Mountaineer spirit.

We all stop to pray for the loss of 25 miners in W.Va.

Sites set on hardwood championship.

Fans cheer on the 'eers but we should all stop to celebrate Easter.

PEIA audit is good for West Virginia.

WVU heads to the NCAA tournament.

Snow has caused school cancellations but education needs to take priorities.

WVU fans show true colors at game.

W.Va. will have contested elections this year but many statewide races go uncontested.

Thanks to state lawmakers for giving counties a little more flexibility in setting their calendars.

Rather than be timid or cater to the special interests, I would ask our lawmakers to stand up.

If the money isn't there, don't spend it.

We need Senator Byrd to fight for West Virginia.

They have an agenda.

Education unions hold sway in House.

Lawmakers should have to take their own medicine

Judicial reform is a must

Our students must be in the classroom 180 days.

Our veterans deserve our gratitude.

Mining debate requires facts, not rhetoric.

Government can't create prosperity.

Investing in clean coal means a better future for coal and a better future for West Virginia.

We need to celebrate our working men and women.

Education reform is a must.

Bond rating plan proves Manchin is on the right path.

Our elected leaders - at every level - owe it to us, the taxpayers, to be prudent with our money.

Manchin has shown leadership.

Good governance mean fiscal responsibility.

Improve, not overhaul.

We must shrink our state government.

We all need to win.

Remember the real meaning of July 4th.

WV congressional delegation must stand united.

An honest, impartial legal system is at the heart of a just society.

We live in a global economy and competition is fierce.

It just seems that time and again, our state is hit by terrible devastation.

Coal may not always be here to save W.Va.

We didn't get it done.

This kind of arrogance absolutely floors me.

Our lawmakers need to do what's right.

I wish more politicians had the courage to stand up for what's right

Collective bargaining for state employees is a power grab.

Secularism is not the answer.

Don't pile on the already-heavy tax burden.

America's economic foundation is still strong.

Let's focus on what matters.

The truth can hurt.

Pay raises for state workers would irresponsible.

Let's take advantage.

The work starts now.

Sacrifices need to be made.

We got the tools, we just need the leadership.

It's been great to watch Pat White on and off the field.

A fair court system is vital to economic development.

State should not have hordes of cash.

The voting process must have integrity.

We should hold our elected officials to a high standard.

Words have meaning.

The reason we have a two-party system.

Selection committee for WVU president is on the right track

Metro government must be considered.

Leaders must use platform to promote coal.

Bob Fitzsimmons did a good deed.

Poverty breeds ill health.

We must work together.

Coal and natural gas provide a strong foundation.

Office seekers deserve respect

Remembering our nation's sons and daughters

New WVU BOG members announced

It's time to move forward.

The BOG needs to act.

BOG must demand that Garrison step down.

BOG must demand Garrison's resignation.

A true leader knows when it's time to step down.

Lawmaker aren't helping out pain at the pump.

WVU BOG needs to defend their man.

Spin must end.

Someone needs to showcase how important coal is.

Forty under 40 making West Virginia great.

Coach Huggins is doing it right.

For this commentary, we got a little help from our friends.

Who are they working for?

Lawmakers need to work for us, not state government.

Corruption has crippled the state.

The time for change is now.

The old gold and blue did the state proud.

This holiday season, let’s try something different. Let’s all slow down for a minute.

Remember the players.

Maybe there's still time.

You get back more when you give.

Redistricting is important, let's do it right.

It's just one loss.

Government can't tax its way to prosperity.

It's important to remember the reason behind the holiday.

West Virginia says good bye to a true friend

The state has bigger problems than staph and MRSA.

The expansion of neighborhood slot parlor gambling could be a blessing in disguise.

He didn’t forget where he was from when he got where was going.

Getting fired up about a slogan is fine, but it’s actions that count.

Americans united are unconquerable.

To move into the future, West Virginia will need to let go of the past.

Urgent action is needed at the Legislature, but priorities matter.

Those who oppose economic reforms for political purposes are killing the opportunities of thousands of children.

The members of the Iraqi soccer team provide a good example for their countrymen and Americans.

Forward thinking on Medicare should be encouraged.

We need to have courage in the face of adversity if we expect to change West Virginia’s economy.

There must be room somewhere for the worst of West Virginia’s worst sex offenders.

The way to fight childhood obesity is right outside your front door.

West Virginia Day should be a celebration of every citizen’s personal freedom to make the most of themselves.

Tough tests get better results.

Let's hope the lawmakers come back from Puerto Rico with some good ideas.

For coal-to-liquid technology to work, predictability is key.

Memorial Day shouldn’t be the only time we remember the men who gave their lives for America.

No compromise on immigration should devalue the precious gift of liberty given to Americans.

West Virginia would benefit in many ways from consolidating elections.

The staggering size of the state’s bill for office leases should make us all hope that new reforms will work.

Solving West Virginia’s health care problems will require fresh thinking.

West Virginia has the resources and technology, but not the laws.

The government needs to accept defeat in an unwinnable war.

The horror in Blacksburg shows just how shallow the national discourse has become.

Being funny doesn’t have to mean being vicious.

Take time this week to put a little love in your heart.

The tenor of the debate over the presidential selection process at WVU reveals a fundamental problem in this state: a lack of reasonable public debate.

Defacing the state veterans’ memorial deserves harsh punishment.

The potential of labor unrest in the schools should teach lawmakers the perils of letting public workers unionize.

It’s not too late for lawmakers to bet on West Virginia and learn that we can compete and win.

Teachers aren’t alone in feeling the pull of better opportunities elsewhere.

West Virginia lawmakers need to add options for cities, not take them away.

Congratulations to James H. “Buck” Harless, winner of The State Journal’s 2007 Lorenelle White Lifetime Achievement Award.

The speed and consensus with which table games was approved was impressive -- if only those same traits applied to the issues most pressing to the future of the state.

Make sure that the people you know will through this cold snap, safe and warm.

Public education is so important to our future that we should be looking at new ideas.

Taxing cigarettes makes more sense than taxing baby food.

Law enforcement, not bigger state government, is the answer to the ATV fatality crisis.

It’s time for state government to make a New Year’s resolution of its own to get fit.

U.S. District Judge Craig Broadwater’s life should be an inspiration to every West Virginian.

West Virginians working tough jobs for low wages demonstrate more class than the multi-millionaires of the NBA.

A new Speaker with a new voice has a chance to move the state ahead.

One of the things that’s already becoming clear is what a bargain we have had in president David Hardesty.

Convicted state employees seeking to keep their pensions are an embarrassment.

Giving thanks in times of trouble is an act of faith and boldness.

Falling coal prices should alarm every West Virginian.

People in positions of power at the West Virginia will be held to account for producing results and creating change

With the election over, the work of government can begin.

Election Day comes not a moment too soon.

In defense of partisanship

State officials must take extra care to avoid influencing the outcomes of elections

Many have benefited from the corruption in this state, and those folks stand to lose a lot if reform takes hold

Change will only come when West Virginia voters demand it

Being a superpower is not easy, but it is still preferable to being defeated.

Return to church-based values needed

Voters will be tempted to ignore this election, but the cost of sitting this one out will be paid by generations of West Virginians.

The U.S. Constitution is our shield against tyranny and the cornerstone of our national greatness. Celebrate it this Constitution Week.

America must stay vigilant and on the march against its enemies in this long struggle.

The reduction of the number of state employees should be the first step toward a smaller, less powerful state government.

The new census numbers reveal a challenge for West Virginia.

State officials should act now to lessen the future impact of the bad decisions of the past.

Scholarships should reward excellence or help those in need.

Abusing the public trust is far worse than paying for a private dance.

The Suggestion Box is filling up; get yours in today.

Taxes exist as a consequence of government spending. We must control spending first.

West Virginia Day is a good time to remember the people who defend our freedom.

Child sex abuse legislation is too important to leave any lawmaker out of the process.

Most West Virginians would agree that child sex offender legislation is a good start.

Tax reforms should start with a plan to dramatically shrink state government.

The problem with the Budget Digest wasn’t just the process, it was the pork.

West Virginians have a special connection to Memorial Day.

Governments that take private property from one person to give to another are redistributing wealth.

Election Day marks the end of a sometimes unpleasant primary election cycle. Today’s winners must decide what the summer and fall may bring.

West Virginia needs a backup to new electronic voting machines.

We owe the people fighting and rebuilding in Iraq our attention in this debate over the future of the war.

Questions about federal budget earmarks in West Virginia reveal the shortcomings of the current system.

Fixing West Virginia’s economy requires good policy, not state handouts.

Paying off our debts is a bet on West Virginia’s future.

We welcome President Bush, but hope he’ll pay careful attention to our security concerns.

The failure of the West Virginia Legislature to deal with sex crimes reveals a larger problem with the way lawmakers do their work.

West Virginia’s Legislature should enact strong eminent domain legislation sooner rather than later.

Lawmakers need to make the most of the remaining days of the Legislative Session.

Turnpike decision demonstrates the importance of equal branches of power.

The theft of $1 million from the RESA system reveals the scope of the state’s education administration bureaucracy.

Taxpayers are starting to wake up to abuse and fraud.

Legislators need to set priorities and set aside petty politics.

Sometimes the people have to speak loudly for the politicians to listen.

West Virginia Media will not provide a platform for hate.

West Virginia’s miners face huge risks every day to keep America running.

Opportunities abound for 2006 after a successful 2005.

Sharing time can be more important than money.

As we count our blessing this holiday season, our viewers are high on the list.

West Virginia’s cities need more ways to fund infrastructure and public safety needs.

Those who died at Pearl Harbor have taught generations of Americans about the costs and duties of freedom.

Providing access to higher education for motivated low-income students is one of the best ways to create a culture of opportunity in West Virginia.

As we debate the American presence in Iraq, we should think first of the Americans serving there.

Seniors must pay careful attention as they select their Medicare prescription drug benefit plan.

Gov. Manchin is right to treat sexual harassment allegations in state government with the utmost seriousness.

Creating a culture of opportunity in West Virginia will take more than we’ve seen so far.

The state’s new economic development policy is sensible and long overdue.

A coal liquefaction plant could brighten West Virginia's future.

POW/MIA families and loved ones struggle to find closure, but there’s some good news for one W.Va. family.

State officials should make sure that there is no confusion about the proper role for officers.

Modern politics are too often long on vitriol and short on substance.

Tax reform must be comprehensive and significant.