Lissa Lucas is a political activist and a candidate for the W. Virginia Statehouse seeking to represent the 7th District, or “The Hollers” as she likes to call them.
She went to the West Virginia House of Delegates on Friday to speak against HB 4268, a bill that would allow gas and oil companies to take advantage of an exercise of eminent domain with only 75% consent from landowners. Current West Virginia law requires 100% approval, greatly strengthening an individual’s ability to determine the use of his property or, at least, it’s worth.
Lissa decided to use her short allotted time at the Public Hearing to list the Gas and Oil industry donors to State House members, a tactic that was quickly determined to be disallowed “personal comments” and she was told to desist.
We can all guess what happens next, when a woman determined to speak her mind runs up against the “good ole boy” patriarchy…
Huffington Post
“Lucas, also a Democratic candidate for West Virginia’s seventh district, used her testimony to read a list of donations that lawmakers had received from oil and gas companies, information that was publicly available. But shortly into her allotted time, Lucas was ordered to refrain from making “personal comments” about members of the House Judiciary Committee.
“The people who are going to be speaking in favor of this bill are all going to be paid by the industry,” Lucas said, noting that “the people who are going to be voting on this bill are often also paid by the industry.”
“I have to keep this short because the public only gets a minute and 45 seconds while lobbyists can throw a gala at the Marriott with whiskey and wine and talk for hours to the delegates,” she added.
As Lucas read the list of donations, her microphone was cut off. She asked the committee to allow her to finish, and when lawmakers refused, she told them to “drag me off.”
You can visit Lissa’s Campaign Website “Holler From the Hollers” here.
This is a woman who does not fear speaking truth to power.
From her site:
“I’ll represent you—and not just when your needs happen to coincide with the needs of these special interest groups. Essentially, that’s why I’ve decided to run: They’re not hearing us. We want jobs—AND we also want clean water and air. We want our property rights protected, AND we want a better future for our kids.
And you know what? Those things are not mutually exclusive; we don’t have to choose between them.
So let’s Holler from the Hollers about it!
I won’t be taking money from SuperPACs and other corporate interests. I don’t care if I offend the people who are working for those interests by telling them, “No, I’m not abandoning my neighbors just so you can line your pockets.” And I don’t care if I offend party elites by saying, “No. I’m not putting this party over the interests of the people.”
Let’s get beyond the partisanship, and focus on our shared vision for West Virginia; let’s focus on issues that will actually help people.
We’ll have a choice to have our voices heard this time, to “Holler from the Hollers!” Let’s do our best to make sure all the money on the other side doesn’t drown us out.”