Erikka Storch Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

State’s Newest Delegate Discusses Appointment, Plans

Diana Winzenreid was selected to serve out the remainder of Del. Erikka Storch’s term, and reporter Chris Schulz sat down with the state’s newest delegate to discuss her new position and plans.

Last month, Del. Erikka Storch stepped down as representative for the 4th House District to become external affairs manager at Appalachian Electric Power.

Diana Winzenreid was selected to serve out the remainder of Storch’s term, and reporter Chris Schulz sat down with the state’s newest delegate to discuss her new position and plans.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Schulz: How are you feeling about your appointment?

Winzenreid: I am very excited about the appointment and incredibly honored to have been chosen and very appreciative of all the people who helped to put me in this position.

Schulz: I know that the process is more or less the same for most appointed candidates. But could you briefly walk me through what that process was like for you?

Winzenreid: There was a public posting for anybody that was interested in applying. And we were asked to submit our letters of interest and a bio, which I did. The committee invited us all in for a meet and greet kind of question and answer session. We were all asked the same questions. And the committee then voted and sent three names down to the governor’s office. And then he selected from the three. From there, I was notified and went down and met with the Speaker of the House and was sworn in.

Schulz: Is this your first foray into public office, or is this something that you’ve pursued before?

Winzenreid: This is my first foray, I have never pursued public office before.

Schulz: So what made the difference this time around and made you say, “You know what, I’m gonna go for it.”

Winzenreid: I moved back to Wheeling, I’ve lived out of the area for a lot of my adult life. I was born in Wheeling, and it’s always been home base for me, and I moved back in 2016. And I became more and more active in the local community and wanted to find a way that I could be of service and be as actively involved as possible and provide a positive impact. And I thought I had a unique perspective, after having lived in so many different areas, and really having sort of a different take on the significance of states rights and state law.

Schulz: What are some of the objectives that you have for the remainder of the term that you’ve been appointed to serve?

Winzenreid: So to me, it’s really important to meet with the local employers, nonprofits, and get a feel for what they want to see, to make sure that I’m actively representing the constituents. I was appointed, not elected, so that I feel like there’s an additional responsibility. Most of my experience, my passion, lies in economic development, as well as family services.

Schulz: Do you have your committee appointments already?

Winzenreid: I don’t have my committee assignments yet. I expect to in the next two weeks, but both the speaker and the deputy speaker have been very kind with their time, everybody has been very kind to me during this transition, and definitely asked for my input where I thought I would be well suited. I am in a unique position because Del. Storch was such a tenured delegate, that coming in as a freshman would not necessarily fill her roles based on her years of experience. So there is a little bit of movement that needs to happen.

Schulz: Could you tell me a little bit more about the reception that you’ve received?

Winzenreid: Everybody has been absolutely wonderful. I have heard from delegates all across the state. They’ve all been very kind offering their help, offering some words of wisdom through the transition. They all told me that I could reach out at any time. I’ve received a similar reception from the local business community. And Del. Storch has been very, very kind with her time. She clearly leaves some big shoes to fill. She is amazing and has done a great service to District 4. She’s been very, very helpful.

Schulz: To that point, is there anything about Del. Storch’s position, her platform, the legacy that she leaves behind, that you’re hoping to continue, or are you focused on forging your own path?

Winzenreid: In the West Virginia Legislature, Del. Storch and I both have unique takes and are different people with different experiences. So, I definitely hope to represent our area well and make her feel comfortable with my appointment so that she feels that we’re being represented correctly. I think that anything I can do to live up to Erikka’s standards would make me pleased.

Schulz: Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I know that we’ve jumped through quite a few different subjects in the short amount of time that we’ve been speaking. So I have no doubt that I’ve missed out on something. But if there’s anything that you’d like to tell me or you’d like to speak on, that I haven’t given you an opportunity to discuss just yet, please do so now.

Winzenreid: I think the biggest priority is meeting with the employers and the nonprofits locally in advance of interims. I think for me, the biggest thing is my goal to be as visible and available as possible to make sure that I’m hearing everybody’s voices. I am open to communication and really want to be as involved a representative as theoretically possible. And I look forward to having a positive impact and working with the community.

New Ohio County Delegate Talks Goals On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Diana Winzenreid from Ohio County was selected to serve out the remainder of Del. Erikka Storch’s term. Reporter Chris Schulz sat down with the state’s newest delegate to discuss her new position and plans.

On this West Virginia Morning, Del. Erikka Storch last month stepped down as representative for the 4th House District to become external affairs manager at Appalachian Electric Power. Diana Winzenreid was selected to serve out the remainder of Storch’s term, and reporter Chris Schulz sat down with the state’s newest delegate to discuss her new position and plans.

Also, in this show, the Allegheny Front, based in Pittsburgh, is a public radio program that reports on environmental issues in the region. We listen to their latest story about soil testing and farm safety after the East Palestine train derailment.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas is our news director and produced this episode.

Teresa Wills is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Winzenreid Takes Oath Of Office For Ohio County House Seat

Wheeling resident Diana Winzenreid became the newest member of the West Virginia House of Delegates on June 7.

Wheeling resident Diana Winzenreid became the newest member of the West Virginia House of Delegates on June 7. She was appointed to serve the 4th Delegate District, which is made up of the southeastern corner of Ohio County, to complete the unexpired term of former Del. Erikka Storch, R-Ohio.

The new delegate stood at the front of the House Chamber with her niece and her nephew as she took the oath of office, which was administered by House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay.

Winzenreid is a graduate of Indiana University and owns a digital marketing agency. She said she has great respect for all those who are in office and wants to be more involved in serving her community.

Her committee assignments and contact information will be listed on the West Virginia Legislature’s website at a later date.

Del. Storch Resigns To Take Legislative Liaison Position With Appalachian Power

Storch leaves 13 years of lawmaking behind to become an external affairs manager for Appalachian Power.

Del. Erikka Storch, R-Ohio, has sent a letter of resignation to House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, resigning from the House of Delegates effective Friday.

“After a great deal of thought, prayer and discussion with my family, I have decided to pursue and accept a private sector employment opportunity that will not allow me to continue service in the legislature,” Storch said in the letter.

Storch leaves 13 years of lawmaking behind to become an external affairs manager for Appalachian Power, working in the Northern Panhandle region. She said her job duties will include local community outreach and could extend back to the Capitol in Charleston.

“I will be helping with the development of company strategies, serving as their local legislative contact and liaison advocating on corporate positions, building and maintaining economic development and community contacts,” Storch said.

She said her duties will include lobbying for Appalachian Power, but she also said she will follow the revised code that requires former legislators to not participate in lobbying activities for the year following their leaving office.

“I can be present,” Storch said. “I guess I have lifetime floor privileges. But I will be diligent to make sure that there’s no impropriety on my part in the time between when I’m able to officially participate in lobbying activities.”

Storch was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2010. Her recent leadership roles included Chair of the House Pensions and Retirement Committee and Deputy Majority Whip. She said one key thing learned over her lawmaking tenure was issue presentation.

“If it’s local government officials or statewide,” Storch said. “You have limited time to present your position, and it’s also very important to always present the truth.”

She said she will miss the positive, meaningful, working relationships she has developed with legislative colleagues and governmental staff from both sides of the aisle. However, Storch said she hasn’t enjoyed the current state of politics.

“It’s the legislating where we’re playing political games that occur in Charleston,” she said. “I don’t mean to make it sound trivial, but at times, it does feel like a game.”

Storch said she wanted to thank the voters that have sent her to Charleston through the last seven election cycles.

“You can’t imagine how honored and humble I am every time that vote results come in and you see that so many people place their confidence in you,” she said.

Storch said even though her legislative resignation is effective Friday, she’s already started her new job.

House Votes to End Greyhound Breeding Fund

The House of Delegates has passed a bill that would effectively put an end to greyhound racing in the state, according to its opponents. Senate Bill 437 discontinues the Greyhound Breeding and Development Fund, putting about $14 million back into excess lottery revenue accounts for lawmakers to appropriate in the upcoming fiscal year. The bill was approved last week in the Senate on a 19 to 15 vote.

The fund was created by the state Legislature in 1994 and helps support greyhound racing at the state’s two racetrack casinos in Wheeling and Nitro. It’s made up of a small percentage of the money bet at table and video lottery games at those locations and helps pay breeders as well as the winnings on races.

Greyhound officials have said eliminating the fund would cut 1700 jobs in the industry.

Several delegates – mostly Democrats – spoke against the bill during a Saturday floor session, like Joe Canestraro, of Marshall County.

“All this body has done has voted to cut low hanging fruit,” Canestraro said, “Low hanging fruit under the illusion that we’re right sizing government. No, what we’re doing is we’re taking jobs and revenue from each of our districts is what we’ve done.”

Delegate Erikka Storch, of Ohio County, was the only Republican member of the body to speak in opposition to the bill. She says the entire state reaps the benefits of greyhound racing.

“All of your districts get money from the racing casinos and the Greenbrier,” Storch said, “I would imagine if you speak to your mayors and commissioners, they will tell you about their uses for this money. Based on a study in Iowa, a year after they eliminated greyhound racing, their figures dropped 20 percent. Every district in the state will feel this.”

Delegate Shawn Fluharty, a Democrat from Ohio County, pointed out the secondary jobs that cutting the greyhound fund could impact.

Del. Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, House Finance Chair.

“Sarah’s Kennel’s in Wheeling; they spend $5,000 a week on food and vitamins for the greyhounds,” Fluharty noted, “Now, where do they purchase that? Tristate Kennel Supply in Brooke County. They purchase vehicles; a typical kennel truck costs $60,000. Sarah’s Kennel’s owns ten of them. Where do they purchase them? Robinson Chevrolet in Wheeling, and then driving those kennel trucks, who drives them? Employees. Up and down Route 2. How much do they pay a week in just fuel? They average around $300 a week in just fuel. How many small businesses will be impacted?”

Only four delegates spoke in support of the bill, including House Finance Chair Eric Nelson who says the industry is dying in the state and it’s time for lawmakers to make tough budgetary decisions.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to have; we ask the question of priority, and this happens to be a priority where we use a certain amount of state dollars to support a purse fund,” Nelson explained, “so the priority is, do we use this amount of money to support purses? Or do we look at our higher education and have an effect on that? Do we look at some of our health programs? The alternatives are some serious cuts to other areas that will also have serious effects on many, many citizens of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, there’s no easy decisions with this budget.”

Senate Bill 437 passed 56 to 44 and now heads back to the Senate before moving on to Governor Jim Justice for a signature.

House Moves to End the Racetrack Modernization Fund

As lawmakers try to find ways to deal with the state’s financial problems, the House Finance Committee discussed a bill that could put $9 million back in the budget. The bill originating in the House’s Finance Committee would end the Racetrack Modernization Fund.

The fund was created in 2011 to supplement the cost of upgrading video lottery terminals – or digital slot machines and other lottery games. There are four racetrack casinos in the state – Mardi Gras in Cross Lanes, Mountaineer in Chester, Wheeling Island in Wheeling, and Hollywood in Charles Town.

Three of those casinos are in border areas and bring in out-of-state gamblers who contribute to West Virginia’s overall income. But in the mid-2000s, surrounding states began building casinos of their own. The fund was seen as a way to keep West Virginia’s gaming facilities more competitive.

Each year, lawmakers set aside $9 million in the Racetrack Modernization Fund for the upgrades, and any unused money rolls over from year-to-year. Currently, there’s $7.5 million leftover from last year. But the fund itself is only supposed to last until 2020. The House Finance Committee’s bill would end the fund three years early and re-appropriate the money to general revenue.

Some delegates in the Northern and Eastern Panhandles, however, had concerns about ending the fund, including Democratic Delegate Jason Barrett, of Berkeley County, who questioned Louis Southworth, an attorney representing the West Virginia Racing Association

“What kind of decrease in revenue have these casinos seen with this increased competition?” Barrett asked.

“I believe that in some of the years the racetracks were contributing around $450 million to the state,” Southworth said, “Last year, it was $367 million, so there’s been a decline, but at least the tracks feel that the fund has helped them keep that level up, and it would’ve been a lot worse if they hadn’t had it.”

“Would you agree that a lot of the players at these casinos are from out of state and having up-to-date games on these slot machines are critical to bringing those people in?” Barrett asked.

“No question,” Southworth answered, “It’s probably 80 to 90 percent from out-of-state, and the competition is fierce.”

Republican Delegate Erikka Storch, of Ohio County, also opposed the bill. She says the casino in her area is a huge contributor to her community, and losing the fund could make them less viable.

“If the racetrack doesn’t have the ability of that capital to upgrade their machines, will they have to lay off people? Will they have to, you know, direct their resources in other ways to maintain a competitive advantage? Will they be able to be a good player in the community as they have been? You know, they support a lot of nonprofits, they host a lot of things, they’re a major donor to a lot of things; they give back to the community a lot,” Storch explained, “Will they be able to do that? Or will they have to redirect those funds toward their capital necessities?”

Storch says she and some of her colleagues may consider offering an amendment on the floor.

House Finance Chair Eric Nelson, of Kanawha County, says he’s sympathetic to his colleagues’ concerns, but points out it’s additional revenue that can help balance the state’s budget deficit.

“I’ve got a casino, or gaming facility right in my backyard; fully aware of that,” Nelson said, “It is one of the balancing acts, you know. The priority of giving certain people or industries tax credits versus balancing the budget and doing other things like cuts and other revenue measures.”

The House Finance Committee did vote to move the bill to the full House, but on a close roll call vote of 14 to 11.