REPUBLICAN FORUM: Evans, Ford, Canterbury, & Deeds answer questions from community

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

ALDERSON, W.Va. – Four candidates who committed, in September, to attend a RealWV-hosted community forum this past Tuesday night instead attended a Republican Party-hosted forum on the same night, which was announced less than a week prior. In an effort to share candidate answers from both forums with voters, so they can be fully informed, RealWV covered both events.

Candidates answered questions directly from attendees in Alderson at the town’s Community Center, who sat at tables and stood to speak. Below are highlights of those questions and answers, broken down by office. 

Andy Evans, Candidate for Magistrate (running against Doug Beard)

Evans began by introducing himself as a Clintonville resident and retired state trooper. “August 21 of this year I retired as a trooper. I took two days off and started as Greenbrier Magistrate on August 24.”

A resident asked, “What’s your view of freedom of speech?”

“Obviously, freedom of speech is one of our constitutional rights,” Evans said. “In my position as a magistrate, I’m not gonna hold anyone back from freedom of speech.”

Another resident asked if magistrates receive any guidance from the Circuit Court judges?

“We’re governed under the Supreme Court,” Evans said. “I do speak with the Circuit Court judges if needed, but we contact the Supreme Court. We have folks that will help guide us.”

An attendee then asked Evans how artificial intelligence might impact the legal system in the future?

“AI is not gonna make any decisions in my courtroom,” he said. “I make the decisions in my courtroom. Through my previous career, I’ve had to make life and death decisions. That’s real time stuff. I don’t rely on AI now, and I’m definitely not gonna for my decision.”

As a follow-up, the attendee said, “What if you’re made to?”

“I’m not sure how they could make us. I don’t know how AI could step into a magistrate’s position. The legislature has the parameters I have to stay in.”

Finally, a man asked what type of cases magistrates handle? 

“Criminal and civil,” Evans replied. “This is another thing I’ve learned recently. Magistrates handle cases involving $20,000 and below.”

Matt Ford, Candidate for County Commission (running unopposed)

Ford introduced himself as an environmental consultant who has been very active in nonprofit leadership in the Meadow River Valley as well as a business owner. He’s a graduate of Greenbrier West High School, West Virginia University, and Marshall University. 

“Why I’m running is the same reason I moved back to Greenbrier County. It’s to help. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.” 

Sen. Jack David Woodrum asked Ford to talk about the future of economic development. 

“Economic development in Greenbrier County is tough,” he responded. “We’ve got to focus on small business development here. We’ve got to stack good businesses that may only employ 10-20 people. Those help Main Street. Those help families be successful.” 

Tee Messer asked how Ford foresees data centers influencing the environment in the region? 

“We all use data centers,” Ford said. “There’s a data center already at The Greenbrier. What you see now like in Mason County, I don’t envision those coming to Greenbrier County. We don’t check the boxes for large scale data centers. They need lots of electricity. They’re going to be in places that are flat with large pieces of land. We do not have the infrastructure.” 

“We all want data processing…but nobody wants it in our backyard.” 

A senior citizen pushed back, asking Ford, “How do data centers help the economy? They use all the land and water, and we’re left holding the bag. This state has been raped–coal, gas, and nobody steps forward.”

In reply, Ford shared that he did not disagree that out-of-state interests had been given more benefits for industry than in-state residents. He also said that like gas stations, they have to be located all over in order to have access for those who need them without latency. 

Del. Ray Canterbury, Candidate for House of Delegates, District 47 (running against Sarah Morris, Democrat)

Canterbury introduced himself by saying, “I really appreciate all the support I’ve been getting. Endorsements by WV for Life and the NRA, a cross section of business and agriculture, the hospital organization, and local labor. I’m very humbled they’ve put their trust in me.”

Kayla McCoy asked Canterbury if he would still support HB2014, the data center bill? Would he vote for it again, knowing what he knows now?

“Yes,” Canterbury said. “There were parts I would revise. I think it’s been good policy.” 

Canterbury said Greenbrier County is not Loudon County, Virginia, where data center are numerous. He argued that the local area lacks the necessary internet access and power grid capacity so support data centers. 

“There has been misinformation about power bills going up because of data centers.” Canterbury said ratepayers cannot bear any costs, per the language of the bill. 

A resident spoke up and said, “We are blessed with water, but we have a drinking water problem. Can they (data centers) use our dirty water?”

“Yes,” he answered. “They’re investing heavily in recycling. They’re already doing it in other parts of the country.” 

“It’s a paradox,” he conceded. “We have plenty of water but a huge infrastructure deficit that drives up the cost.” 

“We’re gonna have to rethink how we get water,” Canterbury said. “It doesn’t make sense to extend public water out where there aren’t many people.”

That comment raised the ire of Alderson Mayor Travis Copenhaver, who stood next to speak. He began by saying the data center bill removed local control from officials such as himself and then moved to the topic of water.

“I feel like what you’ve just said is a smack in the face to my administration. We’re going to Fort Spring with water now. Those people needed water! We’re in an $11 million water project now. When we say we shouldn’t  take water out to people that’s not a valid statement. I have a hard time swallowing we can’t take care of our own problems.”

Canterbury replied, “That’s not what I said. When the population density drops below a certain level, it’s not feasible. I think that’s accurate. Not necessarily here. I don’t mean to offend you.” 

Martha Duffett then asked about loopholes in the data center bill pertaining to water use, saying the bill contained “no permit to take water, no duty to report, usage kept confidential, no groundwater limit or buffers, no rules to replace wells if they dry them up, no dry cooling requirement, no West Virginia jobs provisions.” 

“I’m not gonna say this bill is perfect,” Canterbury said. “There are probably things we should come back to…there won’t be many data centers in West Virginia.” 

“What about Union?” Duffett responded, seemingly in reference to ongoing rumors that Monroe County is being eyed for a data center. 

“Theyre’ talking about pumping water from the New River there,” Canterbury said. 

Another resident dove deeper into the data center topic, sharing that she was originally from Mason County, where a large data center is being constructed now. 

“I’m really put off by the defense of this being, ‘It’s not gonna happen here.’ West Virginia is one big small town. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care it’s happening in Mason and Tucker County. Is that a sufficient defense of removal of local control?”

Canterbury disputed the notion that local control has been removed. “Local control is still there with the legislature,” he argued. 

“’Not in my backyard’ has killed industry. If we don’t build these things, they’ll go to China. We need the infrastructure for the data centers. We need tax revenue. We need that without taxing the people here…The state needs it (data centers). I have no apologies for that.” 

Sen. Vince Deeds, Candidate for Senate, District 10 (running against Kent Gilkerson)

Deeds introduced himself by saying, “I’m a Summers County boy who grew up on a dairy farm. I’ve always been bi-vocational. I’ve had a church and been a state trooper. It’s vitally important to me that I stay active in the community as well. I’m pastor of Sinks Grove Baptist Church and I also work at the Prosecutor’s Office and Greenbrier County Schools…We represent you all. We take your input here tonight. We try and incorporate it into the best solutions possible for all of West Virginia. These town halls are very important.” 

A lady asked Deeds about school closures, consolidations, and job losses, questioning what he was doing to provide accountability? 

“Hope (Scholarship) is one of those pieces of legislation that started out $7.3 million, then it doubled, now it’s ballooned up. It does need some guardrails on it. It doesn’t have any. We’re trying to examine how to put those guardrails on and still make it fair but also so it’s not a budget buster. It’s getting very expensive.” 

“Homeschooling works. So does private education. Public education has evolved and changed a lot over the years. We ask our public education system to do everything. We’re bound by the constitution to provide a good quality education to our kids.”

“What have I done?” Deeds said, before describing an effort to meet with people at all levels of the public education system and propose adjustments to the school aid formula. 

“We have to support our kids. No matter which system they go with. It’s parent choice. I want to be crystal clear on that. But we absolutely have to take care of public education.”

The same lady responded by describing the Alderson Community Center, in which the event was being held, and asked, “Did you help Alderson, our community center, with a $25 million request made for the HVAC system in this building?” She described it as being very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter and in need of an HVAC system.

“To make sure I understand your question, was that submitted to Sen. Woodrum and myself?” Deeds asked. 

“Yes,” she said. 

“We try to fund each project…We’re always eager to try and help support community centers…I can’t think of a project that we turned down.”

The next question, from Kayla McCoy, raised the topic of flooding. “What are you doing to support a state resilience office?” 

“We do need to address that,” Deeds said. “We try to advocate for that. I don’t know why we don’t invest in our future better as a state. We’re ultimately firemen, putting out fires all the time. It’s a crisis all the time.” 

The following question came from Martha Duffett, in regards to parental rights. “The Parental Bill of Rights. Y’all were very proud of. I personally told you what happened with our child. I directly talked to you about it, Vince. I have specified the issues that occurred…Agencies used loopholes and laws to remove our child from a safe, healthy home simply because we would not socially or medically transition her. There’s still a loophole in that law. You did not close the loophole that makes not affirming socially or medically a condition for removal from the home. ‘No boys in girls sports’ is a big tagline you like to use. It happened to us. This is a loophole you knew existed.”

“I think of your case all the time. It is wrong,” Deeds said. “You were victimized. It is a tragedy.” 

He described an effort underway in the legislature to “close the gaps” by having various agencies coordinate with one another. 

“We have tried to work through the parental Bill of Rights,” he said. “There are certain issues maybe we didn’t quite catch or improvements we need to make.”

“The only thing that’s going to stop that is putting it into law that it’s not abuse to not affirm socially or medically your underage child,” Duffett said. 

Moderator Ben Anderson said he was running short on time and moved to the next question. It came from a woman wanting to know what Deeds was doing about the closure of the labor & delivery unit at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center? 

“Anybody that wants to move here is always asking about health care here. Listen to me just for a second. I’m going to come to your question here shortly,” Deeds replied. 

“Economic development is critically important. I’ll tell you why. Our payer mix. We have the worst payer mix as far as insurance goes for health care. If we have private industry it would change that. Health care is also a business. They have to make really hard decisions. With GVMC, they had a physician that was there that was the only OBGYN. The malpractice insurance is very high. The physicains cost a lot of money. You need at least three for our area. It’s very expensive.”

Deeds said the solution may be in a partnership he and other legislators are exploring. “We’ve been trying to partner with WVSOM. We have one of the best medical schools in the country. We’re trying to encourage them to partner with Vandalia to maybe share of the expenses and also recruiting and educating phsycians that want to go in that field. That’s what we’ve been doing behind the scenes.”

“Has it beared any fruits yet? No, but I feel like it’s going to.”

The night’s final question went to a woman who fosters adults who cannot care for themselves.   

“I’ve had a child that was used to pay off a gambling debt in McDowell County. She was raped so badly that I had to put a tube in her abdomen and that’s how she deficated. Because men took advantage of her like that. Where’s the line? These people cannot defend themselves. If a person becomes pregnant due to a predator, where do you stand on that?”

Deeds listened before replying, “I want to thank you for taking care of those different individuals.” 

“Thank God, not me,” the woman replied.  

After talking about struggles with parent and guardians not providing for minors in their care, Deeds discussed holding perpetrators accountable. “We have very effective laws which we have enhanced as far as penalties go. We have to get these systems talking to each other.”

The woman clarified her question, saying, “Should she be forced to have a child (conceived by a perpetrator)?” 

“We have a law,” Deeds said. “There are medical exceptions to that. I think it’s very effective legislation.” 

“Does it force her to have a child?” the woman asked again. 

“Not at all,” Deeds said. “Everybody is wanting a solution for every possible scenario. Our legislation allows for medical exceptions. I think we’re good right there. I think who needs prosecuted are the parents. It does protect the victims of rape and incest.”

(For more information on the state’s rape & incest exceptions, as well as efforts to change them recently by the Legislature, read here.) 

 The General Election is on November 3. Early voting is underway through Saturday.