Lissa Lucas of Cairo, West Virginia is in the news for being dragged out of a public hearing at the state capitol in Charleston on Friday (video below). She voiced her opposition to “an oil and gas industry sponsored bill (HB 4268) that would allow companies to drill on minority mineral owners’ land without their consent.” During her allotted 1:45 at the podium in front of the House Judiciary Committee, Lucas named delegates on the Committee, including the chairman John Shott (R-Mercer), who receive donations from oil and gas companies. She listed the amounts as well. Her microphone was turned off and then she was “dragged away.”
Lissa Lucas, who describes herself as a regular person (married, educated, employed, lives on a farm), says the fact that “money buys power” has made her run for office in District 7 (Ritchie, Pleasants). She’s not interested in having a life-long career in politics. She writes on her website: “I won’t be taking money from SuperPACs or other corporate interests. I don’t care if I offend the people who are working for those interests.” She’s encouraging West Virginians to break the corporate control of government. “Do it. I double dog dare you.”
