West Virginia
Dear WV cities: Just because the Supreme Court says you could doesn’t mean you should • West Virginia Watch
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Grants Pass v. Johnson that cities can charge people with crimes for sleeping in public, even when they have nowhere else to go.
The ruling partially reversed the 2018 case Martin v. City of Boise, which had held that cities had to offer sufficient housing alternatives before criminalizing homelessness.
The new ruling will have ramifications across the country.
On a single night in January 2022, there were at least 580,466 homeless people in the United States, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, which is widely considered a conservative count.
Housing prices continue to outpace incomes, particularly in urban areas, leaving housing out of reach for many. The average hourly wage needed to afford a two-bedroom rental in 2023 was $27.58, according to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition. The federal minimum wage remains at $7.25.
Failures in our mental health and addiction treatment systems allow many people to spiral rather than provide necessary support. More than 130 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, according to the National Rural Health Association. This drives more struggling people into population centers to seek support.
West Virginia cities have responded to these pressures by attempting to criminalize poverty. For years cities like Martinsburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, Parkersburg, Huntington, Charleston, and even Buckhannon have engaged in aggressive tactics against people who are indigent, experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. These include nuisance “drug house” ordinances, panhandling bans, and breaking up of encampments. For years the ACLU-WV has fought back against these cruel and misguided policies.
The ruling in Grants Pass may have given cities more power to enact such policies, but it doesn’t require them to do so.
Criminalizing people for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go is inherently contrary to the notion of freedom. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out in her Grants Pass dissent, “sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime.”
In his majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch sided with a lower court’s ruling that Martin had “shackled” local officials’ efforts to redress the serious issue of homelessness. Putting aside the unfortunate choice of words, it’s crucial to note that these laws do nothing to remedy homelessness.
In fact, they only make the problem worse.
We cannot arrest our way out of this mess. We cannot expect court fees, fines and the collateral consequences of legal-system involvement to lift anyone out of poverty. Last year, when the City of Charleston put 16 people in jail for five days for the crime of being homeless in a city park at night, how did that benefit anyone?
In trying to make homelessness less visible, cities like Charleston are throwing gasoline on the fire. We can’t hope that a cruel and hopeless enough situation will magically create the resiliency needed to overcome obstacles and barriers. And we certainly can’t believe that kicking people to the next town over is a viable policy solution.
There are many proven methods to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness and housing instability. They include low-barrier housing, rent controls, expanded mental and behavioral health services, and cutting the red tape to assistance.
Not only are these policies more humane and more effective, the data shows they are cheaper. For example, the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness found that providing permanent housing to chronically homeless individuals saved the region $31,065 per person per year in reduced spending on law enforcement and emergency services.
So, while the Supreme Court may have allowed more criminalization of poverty, it is still bad policy.
And if West Virginia cities think they now have a blank check to criminalize poverty, they can think again. The ACLU isn’t going anywhere and we will fight these wrongheaded proposals every step of the way.
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— Story by David Walsh, Photo gallery by Will Wotring
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Divisions I and II are going as expected after Thursday night’s opening round in the 78th West Virginia High School State Wrestling Tournament at Mountain Health Network Arena. University, seeking a third straight large school title, and Parkersburg found themselves in the top two in the standings on a night dominated by pins as No. 1 seeds would beat up on No. 4 seeds.
University started the event minus two competitors. One did not make weight and the other, who won a state title a year ago, is not competing as he’s recovering from a football injury.
One competitor delivering big for the Hawks is Maximus Fortier, a junior who transferred in from Fairmont Senior. While there, he won the state title as a freshman at 144 with a final record of 41-1. He competes at 165 now and is 36-2 after winning with a first-round pin Thursday night.
“Come down, support the team and try to win,” Fortier said of his battle plan. “Wrestle the way we know how.”
Fortier and the Hawks won the Ron Mauck OVAC title, the WSAZ Invitational and West Virginia Duals during the season. He competed in two major tournaments as well. He went 2-2 in the Ironman and won his weight class in the Powerade Tournament which attracts the top teams in the nation.
“Wasn’t ready,” he said about the Ironman. “Did my thing at Powerade. It was big.”
Fortier said support at his new school grows every day.
“They treat me like family,” he said.
Strategy for the State Tournament is simple.
“Wrestle the way we know how to wrestle,” Fortier said.
University capitalized on a strong finish in the heavier weights and leads with 47 points. Parkersburg, which finished second here last year, trails with 39.5. Cabell Midland is third with 37.5 and Huntington fourth with 32.5.
Ripley is in year two in Division II. The Vikings placed sixth a year ago. They came to town as the Region 4 winner and qualified 11 with nine taking first and the other two second. Ripley leads after Thursday with 38 points thanks to wins by pin or major fall. Independence is second with 27 and Keyser third with 25.5. Cameron is the leader in Division III with 16 points.
The tournament continues Friday with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the girls have their state with action starting at 8 a.m. The boys begin at 10:30.
Championship finals are Saturday night at 6:30. Wrestlers are now seeded prior to the tournament and the pill breaks deadlocks.
During the season, Ripley won the West Virginia Duals, beat Herbert Hoover twice, Point Pleasant and also got wins over Parkersburg South and Huntington.
Losing to Kansas State wiped away all hope for West Virginia to make the NCAA Tournament. That seems to be the clear consensus in the Mountain State, but is there actually still a chance? Well, I guess so.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has West Virginia listed as a team to consider, the second team outside of the “next four out” grouping.
Lunardi’s current NCAA Tournament bubble
Last Four Byes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State
Last Four In: SMU, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Indiana
First Four Out: VCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati
Next Four Out: San Diego State, USC, California, Seton Hall
Next: Stanford, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona State
How is this even possible?
Short answer? I don’t really know.
My best guess as to why? Two things: the respect for the Big 12 and the opportunities left on the table, and two, an incredibly weak bubble.
Should West Virginia beat UCF on Friday, it will give the Mountaineers a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. That’s not as much of a guarantee to make the dance as having a winning record, but still, it’s an impressive mark, especially when, in this instance, they would have wins over Kansas, BYU, and sweeps over Cincinnati and UCF.
If you ask me, they still have too many bad losses for it to matter. I mean, even if they got red-hot out of nowhere and made it to the Big 12 championship game next week, is that enough? Potentially, but that’s a big IF.
The one thing WVU does have on its side is the number of Quad 1 wins, which they have five of. Virtually every other team in college basketball that has a minimum of five Quad 1 victories is expected to make the tournament. In that previously mentioned scenario, they would add at least one more Quad 1 win in the conference tournament, giving the committee something to think about.
The bubble is just incredibly weak, though. Like, how in the world is Auburn, who is 16-14 currently, the second team out of the field? Cincinnati, which WVU swept and has the same record as, is the fourth team in the “first four out” grouping.
At this point, the only path I see is for the Mountaineers to cut down the nets in Kansas City — good luck with that. We could be having a very different conversation if they didn’t lallygag their way through the first 30 minutes of the games against Utah and Kansas State.
Buckle up, Upshur County. Starting Friday, March 6, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will step up seatbelt enforcement as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign running through March 23.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) announced the high-visibility mobilization as a warm-up to the national seatbelt campaign in May. The goal is to ensure every occupant — front seat or back, driver or passenger — is buckled on every trip.
“During this mobilization, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will be out in full force. They will be strictly ticketing drivers who are unbuckled or who are transporting children not properly restrained in car seats,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP.
The numbers behind the campaign are sobering. In 2023, 40% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in West Virginia crashes were unrestrained. The state’s seatbelt usage rate has also slipped — from 91.9% in 2024 to 91.6% in 2025.
Rural drivers face elevated risk despite a common assumption that country roads are safer. In 2023, 65% of the state’s traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, compared to 35% in urban centers.
Under West Virginia law, wearing a seatbelt is required. A citation carries a $25 fine, though McNeely says the real point isn’t the penalty.
“Click It or Ticket isn’t about the citations; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “A ticket is a wake-up call. It is far less expensive than the alternative — paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
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