Hi Jacob, I think you have a great topic for this project. I am currently doing an internship with the Virginia Beach General District Court, and when I was interning in the Traffic Division, there were a lot of cases of people getting pulled over for being on their phones. Some judges would reduce their ticket if they had shown efforts to prevent it from happening again (i.e. buying a bluetooth for their car, doing driver improvement school, etc...), but some judges were not as lenient. I think having this type of retribution is definitely enough to somewhat scare people from using their handheld devices while driving. Great topic!

Hi Tinesha, I think you have a great set up for your project. I think it is interesting that they are ending the death penalty in VA considering it was once the "rocket docket," meaning that VA had the fasted execution rate. While the death penalty is a controversial topic for any political stance, no one can deny the numbers and statistics. Great job!

Lydia Strickland ECON 290 Dr. Bajah October 3, 2021 Milestone #3 A. Rules of Organization that are Influenced/Impacted by Policy The main supporters behind Senate Bill 334 are the Republican Party. The new bill requires licensing requirements for anyone wanting to start a Needle Exchange Program and any pre-existing programs. These new licensing requirements for newly started needle exchange programs requires to have the support of the county commission and sheriff, pay an application fee and have a 30-day comment period. All needle exchange programs, whether new or pre-existing, are required to provide a full range of services, including HIV testing, and any programs only providing needles must dissipate within six months after the bill is passed. There must also be a 1:1 ration with the needle exchange, in order for someone to receive clean needles, they must return their dirty ones. In order to receive needles, one must have a West Virginia ID, and they cannot receive needles for another person (Herald-Dispatch, 2021). B. The Input of Those Impacted by the Decision The main argument against Senate Bill 334 is that it is unconstitutional. People opposed to the bill all sent letters to Governor Justice stated their position and what they expected the outcome to be, an increase in HIV cases and dirty needles on the ground. The ACLU-WV filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop Governor Justice from signing the bill weeks before he actually signed it (Reports, 2021). After the bill was signed, Federal Judge Robert Chambers halted the implementation of the Bill while it was considered for its constitutionality, which was deemed constitutional. C. Groups Most Impacted by Decision The demographic most affected by this decision would first be those with substance abuse. The program was designed to prevent HIV outbreaks by sharing and reusing dirty needles in that community. If these restrictions are imposed on the Needle Exchange Programs, then this would prevent many substance abusers from getting access to clean needles, therefore increasing the possibility of an HIV outbreak. The other group that is affected by this legislation is the already existing Needle Exchange Programs. These programs will be required to change essentially everything about them. They will have to begin providing other services, such as the HIV testing, which can be expensive. If not, then they will have to cease the program or face criminal charges. D. Unintended Consequences One of the unintended consequences to this bill is the closing of many needle exchange programs across the state. The new licensing requirements, such as requiring the approval of county commission and sheriff and providing a full range of services such as HIV testing, could prove to be too much and force the programs to close, or face criminal charges. The main unintended consequence that the opposition is worried about is an HIV outbreak. West Virginia has already had two of the worst HIV outbreaks in the country, and part of the CDC’s recommendation to prevent another one is to improve access to clean, sterile needles (Department of Health and Human Resources). The opposition to the bill worry that with the potential of multiple needle exchange programs closing and less access to clean needles, HIV will be spread more quickly through the use of dirty needles that are shared among drug users. References Department ofHealth & Human Resources. WVDHHR. (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://dhhr.wv.gov/News/2021/Pages/Final-CDC-Recommendations-on-Kanawha-County-HIV-Outbreak-Presented-.aspx. Herald-Dispatch, T. A. Y. L. O. R. S. T. U. C. K. T. (2021, March 14). 'no justification:' Senate bill will end syringe services in WV, experts say. Dispatch. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/no-justification-senate-bill-will-end-syringe-services-in-wv-experts-say/article_78b2bce1-0f7d-5d56-852b-d50b73da6edb.html. Reports, F. S. (2021, June 25). ACLU-WV files suit weeks before newly passed West Virginia Bill to take effect. WV News. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/aclu-wv-files-suit-weeks-before-newly-passed-west-virginia-bill-to-take-effect/article_a4062282-33da-50ab-8a76-cb2762109c09.html.

Hi Cullen, I think you have a very good topic for the project. Having a thorough explanation of the potential effects on churches the Equality Act would have if it were to become law would be something very beneficial to your project.

Hi McKenzie, I think you have a great start for the project. The topic is interesting and should have lots of information regarding your topic. I think it'll be interesting to see how this policy effects the citizens of San Francisco compared to the illegal immigrants living there.

Lydia Strickland Professor Bajah Econ 290 9/5/2021 Milestone 1: WV Needle Exchange Program I will be writing my paper on the WV Needle Exchange Program and the policies surrounding it. This is a big topic in the state, especially since the governor just signed a bill that imposed limitations on the program that some view as a potential issue and question their constitutionality. Concept Questions 1. What are the relevant rules guiding the policy? Governor Justice signed a Bill in April that requires users of the Needle Exchange program to provide a WV ID, have government sign off on the programs, and require users to bring back old needles that have been used. 2. Are those rules effectively enforced? Different agencies questioned the constitutionality of the new restrictions, and a judge required them to be halted while he considered the constitutionality, ultimately deciding that it is enforceable. 3. Is there a romance-reality disconnect in the policy? In other words, do people seem to expect a much more “public spirited” outcome than is realistic? People believe this program will reduce the amount of needles in public areas, while reducing the amount of diseases passed through drug users by injection using dirty needles. 4. What is the collective action the policy is supposed to accomplish? Or is there one? Is the policy designed to favor some over others? The plan is to reduce the spread of diseases such as HIV and Hep-C among drug users that use injection. 5. Is there a special interest involved? Are they successful? The special interest is the drug-users that use by injection. Outline I. Introduction II. Explanation of Drug Problem in WV a) Statistics on the amount of substance abuse per capita b) Statistics on overdose deaths in the state III. Explanation of WV Needle Exchange Program a) How it will help the drug problem in WV IV. How the program is funded V. Issues surrounding the program a) New limitations requiring WV ID to receive needles, protests from different people VI. Conclusion Sources: · https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2021/07/08/wv-temporarily-barred-from-enforcing-new-syringe-exchange-restrictions/ · https://wvmetronews.com/2021/04/15/justice-signs-syringe-exchange-bill-despite-health-leaders-push-for-a-veto/