In his stunning investigative reporting for the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Gazette-Mail in 2016 and in his book, “Death in Mudlick,†Eric Eyre described former Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s role in the opioid crisis. Anyone able to read could have disqualified Morrisey from politics at that moment. Morrisey was elected West Virginia governor in 2024 not by the addicts he enabled but by the huge dump of MAGA money and propaganda that he brought along with him.
As bad as the epidemic was and still is for drug users, it is worse for their children. Our children. West Virginia children. Citizens of tomorrow who will be the workers, first responders and caregivers for us in our old age if they can find a way to survive here at home, which is doubtful.
Obviously, we have for some years had a crisis of children being removed from their parents care due to drug abuse and resulting child abuse and neglect. West Virginia Child Protective Services has, of course, been crushed under this skyrocketing need for foster homes. Funding and staffing for CPS has been inadequate, of course. More than 6,000 of our children are separated from their parents, some sent out of state, some even to suspicious placements that continue to avoid accountability for the kids.
A Court Appointed Special Advocate is a community volunteer, qualified and appointed by the court to follow the child through the foster care swamp. These special advocates are tasked with befriending the child and the family, assisting as needed and reporting to the court on the welfare and prospects for reunification of the child with her or his parents. CASAs do this on their own time, without any thought of reward other than the knowledge that they stood up and offered their eyes and ears, compassion and dedication for a child. All expenses incurred are the responsibility of the individual volunteer.
Around 80% to 90% of referrals to CASA involve drug abuse by the parent or guardian.
By line-item veto, Gov. Morrisey has just cut $800,000 in funds for CASA appropriated by the supermajority Republican Legislature. Although he claims that a severe financial deficit exists in the state budget, Morrisey likely plans to use this money in his effort to rationalize his tax cuts for the wealthy.
West Virginia would be better served by allowing this funding to proceed, or, at least, making it an addition to the CPS budget, available to help these children.
