On September 7th three West Virginia candidates for governor, Tomblin, Maloney, and Baber participated in a televised debate in Wheeling. Shale gas drilling was one of the points discussed, and it has been raised several times as a campaign issue over the course of the gubernatorial race.  On September 13th the West Virginia Broadcasters Association sponsored their own debate, but only invited the democratic and republican candidates.

In an interview with The Register-Herald, Mountain Party Candidate Bob Henry Baber, spoke of shale gas drilling in ways that would make the other candidates’ heads turn, such as increasing permitting fees to as much as $60,000 (only 1% of the total cost of drilling a well) and raising severance taxes on gas to a level that would tie West Virginia with Oklahoma (only the third highest severance tax in the nation).

Early vote starts tomorrow September 21st and runs through October 1st.  The election is set for October 4th.