Republican State Rep Ryan Smith represents the “heart of Appalachia” in Gallia County.  In today’s House Finance and Appropriations Committee hearings he described himself as living in a “high poverty district that can’t get a levy through.”

During the hearings [video available here at 137:53] Smith asked a very moving question of Richard A. Ross, head the Governor’s Office of 21st Century Education.   He simply wanted to know what, if anything, this budget would do to help the severely underfunded schools in his district, schools that are laying off teachers and other vital staff and can’t afford to provide simple […]