W.Va.’s House Democrats say the Republican super-majority is focused on winning reelections and drafting nonsense bills while residents suffer
By Autumn Shelton, RealWV
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia House Democrats held a press conference in the Capitol on Monday, where they discussed some of their plans for the state, and called out the Republican supermajority for introducing “nonsense” bills.
House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, was the first to speak.
“A few sessions ago, we spoke about being the adults in the room,” Hornbuckle began. “Here we are again. West Virginia House Democrats, more than ever, are the adults in the room.”
Hornbuckle said that the state’s Democrats are committed to helping those in southern counties who recently experienced historic flooding.
“We want to let you know we are committed to helping you out with flood relief, making sure there’s boots on the ground to help you piece back your lives, but also we want to make sure that we are taking preventative measures to make sure when the next flood happens that we are able to mitigate that damage,” Hornbuckle said.
In a separate video posted on social media, Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, said that in the week since Gov. Patrick Morrisey called for federal disaster relief, on Feb. 15, the state has heard nothing but crickets from those at the federal level.
“We have yet to hear anything at all from the Trump administration,” Pushkin said. “We also haven’t heard any more from Gov. Morrisey or congressional delegation or a single Republican here at the Capitol.”
“They have had to use pack mules to haul food and water and cleaning supplies to the people in southern West Virginia,” Pushkin continued. “You know, those pack mules are more useful than President Trump has been in his entire administration for the folks of West Virginia.”
Pushkin called on President Trump “to do something.”
(View the Reel here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/826966099590083)
In addition to flooding concerns, Hornbuckle continued that House Democrats have plans to address child care concerns, grow the economy by attracting talent to the state, raise revenue, and lower electric bills.
“Oftentimes, right now, people are tasked with what bill they are going to let go and pay at the end of the month,” Hornbuckle said, adding that “this cannot go on.”
Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, explained a few of these plans.
Regarding lowering electricity bills, Hansen said that Democrats have a bill to freeze electric rates for one year.
“That will allow us to have time to implement some good policies that will take care of this issue over the long term,” Hansen said, adding that an “all of the above energy strategy,” including the use of electricity generated from a variety of sources, will help lower rates and create thousands of new jobs.
Hansen also explained that Democrats have introduced a bill to “reform the Public Service Commission.”
House Bill 2555 would “enhance transparency and accountability of the Public Service Commission” and shift their duties to focus on “assuring affordable energy rates,” according to the bill’s text.
“It has not just been bad decisions made by the Legislature, it’s been decisions made by the unelected Public Service Commissioners that have led to this increase in electric rates over the last decade,” Hansen said. “[The] bill will force the Public Service Commission to make decisions in the public interest, rather than in corporate interests, and will hold our commissioners to the highest ethical standards.”
To increase the state’s revenue, and possibly fix the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), Hansen said cannabis should be legalized.
Hansen is the lead sponsor of House Bill 2887, which would legalize the adult personal use and possession of cannabis. As of Feb. 24, the introduced bill has seen no movement.
According to Hansen, the bill would allow for county-based referendums for “some level of local control.”
“But, what’s important about that,” Hansen said, “is that would create a new revenue stream that could be in the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars and the bill specifically directs a portion of those revenues to help stabilize PEIA so we can support our public employees without a pay cut.”
Pushkin noted that excellent public education should be important for everyone in West Virginia, but it “hasn’t been a priority of the Republican supermajority.”
“We have a crisis with our Public Employees Insurance program, PEIA,” Pushkin stated. “There’s been absolutely no plan to fund it. In fact, what we’re seeing is Republican-led bills to abolish it, to privatize it, and throw our teachers, our first responders, our firefighters, our police officers to the wolves where their premiums are going to go up. That’s a pay cut. That’s not going to attract teachers to the classroom by giving them, basically, a pay cut.”
Pushkin was referencing House Bill 2623, which was introduced on Feb. 19 by lead sponsor Charles Sheedy, R-Marshall, and co-sponsored by Delegates Horst, Bridges, Stephens, Coop-Gonzalez and Foggin.
The bill has yet to see movement in the House, but it states that “(a) Beginning January 1, 2026, health insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance for state employees shall be provided by contract. (b) The term period for any insurance contracts entered as described in subsection (a) shall be for four years.”
“It’s a general lack of seriousness on the part of the Republican supermajority. They’re not addressing real issues,” Pushkin said. “That’s the problem. That’s what we are trying to bring up here today.”
House Minority Whip, Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, added that West Virginians should consider if Republicans are actually helping the state’s residents, or if they are trying to get votes for their next election.
“That is exactly what has been going on for a number of years in this Legislature,” Fluharty said. “A West Virginia GOP, which is more focused on reelection than the responsibilities of working together to bring a better West Virginia for your families, and that’s our job going forward.”
Fluharty mentioned the resolution to rename Spruce Knob as “Trump Mountain,” bills expanding child vaccination exemptions, and Gov. Morrisey’s signature legislation, which Fluharty said “does nothing going forward,” as examples of misguided Republican objectives.
“Young people don’t want to stay,” Fluharty said. “They want to flee because the priorities of this supermajority are simply for the politicians themselves and not the people of West Virginia.”
Lastly, Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, said that it is important to speak about the budget.
“Eight years ago, when I came into this Legislature, we had a $500 million budget shortfall. Now, eight years later, have we learned our lesson? No, we haven’t, because we have a purported $400 million shortfall that we are staring down.”
Williams said that the state arrived at this point when Democratic voices that cautioned against tax breaks were not listened to.
“These tax breaks for the average West Virginia family, maybe, put $80 to $100 back in their pocket,” Williams said, scoffing. “Take that money to the Texas Roadhouse. Take your family there. While you’re there, say ‘Hi’ to the waitress. She used to be your son’s math teacher, but she had to quit because her benefits stink so bad now because the state of West Virginia can’t cover them.”
Williams said these small tax breaks are destroying important government systems so that Republicans can “campaign on a tax break.”
“This caucus remains committed to fighting against DOGE-like cuts that provide services to West Virginians,” Williams concluded. “We are not going to tolerate it at the federal level. We are going to be advocates there, and we are going to use our legislative abilities to stop and do what we can to make sure that doesn’t happen on the state level.”
There are nine Democrats in the 100-member West Virginia House. They are: Del. Shawn Fluharty, Del. Rick Garcia, Del. Anitra Hamilton, Del. Evan Hansen, House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, Del. Hollis Lewis, Del. Mike Pushkin, Del. John Williams and Del. Kayla Young.
