CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — With utility rates raising concern among many people across the Mountain State, lawmakers in the West Virginia Senate are eyeing ways to bring change.

Senate Bill 119, introduced by Cabell County Democrat Senator Mike Woelfel, would require Commissioners of the Public Service Commission to be elected rather than appointed.

“At this point, the fact that the commissioners are appointed by the governor really gives the citizens really no accountability in terms of holding folks responsible for these high utility rates,” Woelfel said.

According to move.org, people in the Mountain State pay the highest average water bill in the country at $121. They also found people in West Virginia are paying around $42 more per month for utilities this year compared to last.

Woelfel said West Virginians are facing some of the highest utility rates in the country, and this bill would add an extra layer of accountability and oversight.

“There’s not a consumer representative on there,” he said. “The deck is stacked in favor of utilities and this is not a panacea. This is one measure among others that I’d like to see enacted that would help our residents in terms of managing the utility costs.”

Woelfel’s bill is being supported by Ohio County Republican Senator Laura Chapman, proving it’s a bipartisan effort.

“I think that again, transparency and accountability needs to happen in this arena because we have more energy resources under our feet in West Virginia than Saudi Arabia,” Chapman said. “Why are our costs the number one in America?”

Chapman is also proposing legislation that would put a freeze on utility rates, giving the PSC about a year’s time to find solutions to curb rate hikes, something both Chapman and Woelfel said is a step in the right direction.

“So they’ll be evaluating if there’s any cost drivers, if there’s infrastructure costs that are too astronomical and doesn’t make sense for the public to have to pay for,” Chapman said.

Saturday was another busy one for Virginia Tech coach James Franklin. He landed two more transfer commitments, one from Ohio State offensive tackle Justin Terry and another from West Virginia EDGE/linebacker Curtis Jones Jr.

The 6-foot-4, 226-pound Jones played both ways at WVU. A native of Ona, West Virginia, Jones appeared in 11 games as a freshman in 2024, almost exclusively on special teams. His role increased in 2025, when he played in 12 games, making 14 tackles, including three for loss, two passes defensed and one forced fumble. Jones was also used as a short-yardage back on offense, where he was highly efficient, carrying the ball 11 times and scoring 3 touchdowns.

Make no mistake, Jones will play defense in Blacksburg. He’s the sixth EDGE commitment for Virginia Tech’s transfer portal class. However, the Hokies lost Baylor transfer Kamauryn Morgan this week. With students scheduled to report next week, an admissions issue prevented Morgan from enrolling at VT and he is back in the portal. While it was a tough loss, adding Jones softens the blows.

Here are Virginia Tech’s other four EDGE commitments:

The Hokies have placed a premium on upgrading the trenches this offseason, and Jones’ commitment further strengthens Tech’s stable of pass rushers for 2026.