Senate Democrats List Priorities For Session

Senators Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Joey Garcia, D-Marion, are the lone Democrats in the West Virginia Senate. 

But as they highlighted their hopes for the session during a press conference Tuesday, both said they are confident they can find common ground on key issues. 

Among their priorities:

• Child Welfare
• Public Education
• Utility Costs

Minority leader Woelfel said the Democrats support Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s Bring Them Home plan to treat foster children in West Virginia rather than out of state. 

“We have over 6,000 foster care children that are at risk through no fault of their own, and it’s time that the state took seriously their plight. They have no business living in hotels or Airbnbs,” Woelfel said.

But they want the funding increased – and a focus on nonprofits already doing similar work. 

“We’re talking about $10 million instead of $6 million, and really emphasizing the idea of nonprofits – not building on state facilities. The governor’s made it very clear he does not want to run facilities in the state of West Virginia,”  Garcia said. “What we need to do is build capacity for shelters, emergency shelters, psychiatric facilities. That’s going to come from the people that are already doing that in the state of West Virginia.”

Funds for their priorities, they said, would come in place of the 5% income tax cut Morrisey has proposed.

“They’re saying, okay, we can just go ahead and have this 5% tax decrease. Well, the money could go for a lot of things that are going to solve problems in the state of West Virginia,” Garcia said.

They also want funds for Section 8 rental housing subsidies for low to moderate income people, and a household income limit of $100,000 for families securing funds through the Hope Scholarship program.