BACK PEW: Observations from the Legislature
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
In tribute to the great sports radio host, Stu Gotz, who began his new show on FOX Sports this week and famously shares his “Weekend Observations” from the world of sports, today’s edition of the Back Pew will include my observations from the world of West Virginia politics.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. In the past 10 years, 84% of the seats in the House of Delegates have changed hands. Similarly, 76% of the seats in the Senate have changed hands in the last decade. Yet with all those new faces, we still face the same old problems. Voters obviously want change, but they haven’t found it yet.
36 and 37 like each about as much as 46 and 47. Yes, I’m referring to our 36th governor, Jim Justice, and our 37th governor, Patrick Morrisey, who are trading barbs yet again over social media about who gets credit for which economic development project that may someday lead to some jobs. Gentlemen, everybody knows you want each other’s job. May I propose that you switch? Jim can come back to Charleston and Patrick can go to Washington. Problem solved.
We’re a quarter of the way done? Yes, you read that right. We’re about to hit the 25% mark of this legislative session. If you can name two bills that have passed a single chamber, you get a hot pepperoni roll. If you can name one that will positively impact your family when it becomes law, you get a tax credit.
Didn’t a Democrat propose that recently? I frequently see Republicans sponsoring bills Democrats proposed over the last few years–CPS reforms, support for kids in foster care, homeless student outreach, gun safety tax credits, public school support, veteran’s benefits, and the list goes on. Good for you for standing up for your beliefs even if they don’t match your party. But beware, your third-party backers will not be happy. More importantly, why can’t a good idea just be a good idea and get support?
This session has seen more leadership changes than policy debates. First, it was the Senate. Now, it’s the House. We’ve seen numerous new committee chairs named just in the last few weeks. Everybody wants a supermajority…until you’re in one. They are unmanageable.
A tip of the hat to Donna Boley. Donna Boley has resigned from the Senate after a 41-year career. Say what you want about term limits; the people of her district respected her. As did her fellow members. Very few people could do what she did, especially over an extended period of time. The work suited her well. She treated it and the people with whom she served with dignity. After I was appointed to the Senate, I was assigned to sit beside Donna in two committees. So I tried my best to get to know her. It wasn’t working, so I thought. A few weeks later, though, she invited me to sit with her and Sue Cline for lunch. They always ate together, and I didn’t think anyone else was allowed at that table. Congratulations on your retirement, Senator Boley! Thank you for your service.
That’s the view from the Back Pew. May God bless you, our legislators, and the ever-patient journalists who cover them each day.
Stephen Baldwin is a Presbyterian minister and the former Senate Minority Leader from Greenbrier County. He is the publisher of The Real WV.
