SB 508 -- getting rid of "nuisance lawsuits" appears dead

This morning's Gazette-Mail reported:

A bill that would shield natural gas drillers and other industries from certain types of lawsuits faces an uphill struggle for passage before the end of this year's legislative session, West Virginia lawmakers and lobbyists say.

The AP reports that Don Blankenship doesn't want to pay $28 million in restitution to Alpha Natural Resources

According to the AP earlier today:

Ex-Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship is opposing a prosecution push to make him pay $28 million in restitution to a coal company.

In a Beckley federal court filing Monday, Blankenship's attorneys said he shouldn't have to pay Alpha Natural Resources for legal fees, investigative expenses and fines.

Washington Post polls Republican senators on support for Trump if he is the Republican nominee

According to today's Washington Post, Republican Senator Capito would support Donald Trump if he is the Republican nominee. Here's what the Post did:

The Washington Post surveyed Senate Republicans this past week to ask them one question: Will you support Donald Trump if he is the GOP nominee for president?

Not everyone got back to us -- perhaps a reflection of this being a question they'd rather ignore -- so we scraped the senators' comments in media reports as well. Here's what we found: By our count, the slightest majority -- 28 of 54 -- have indicated they will support the Republican nominee even if it's Trump.

The Post has Shelley Moore Capito in the "yes" column. (Note -- the Post's conclusion is accurate but a bit deceptive -- they have only one in the "no" column and 25 in the "undecided" column.)