Panel to focus on child poverty

CHARLESTON — What John Unger thought would be an opportunity to teach elementary school children about state government turned into a defining moment that compelled him to wage a fight against child poverty in West Virginia.

The state Senate majority leader from Berkeley County visited the third-grade class at Berkeley Heights Elementary School in Martinsburg in December to talk about how a bill in the Legislature becomes a law. Having made the presentation several times before, Unger knew interaction was key to keeping the students engaged.

He created a scenario under which each student was a senator and was asked to introduce bills that would improve their learning experience at school. Hands immediately shot into the air.

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