Tag: West Virginia State Senate

Republicans Increase Their Supermajority In W.Va. Senate

Sen. Glenn Jeffries, formerly D-Putnam, has announced that he has filed to switch his party affiliation. Jeffries, now R-Putnam, will join the Republican caucus in the state Senate.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Story updated at 12:14 p.m.

Sen. Glenn Jeffries, formerly D-Putnam, has announced that he has filed to switch his party affiliation. Jeffries, now R-Putnam, will join the Republican caucus in the state Senate.

The switch now has Republicans occupying 31 of the 34 Senate seats.

Jeffries said he thinks he can get more accomplished as a republican.

“I believe with some of the momentum that I’ve got going with economic development, stuff that I’ve been involved with, I believe that making this move will help me be more effective,” Jeffries said. “The majority party ends up making decisions that I want to be involved with, and want to make sure that they’re going in the right direction.”

In 2021, Jeffries wrote a letter to Berkshire Hathaway (BH) Chairman Warren Buffett inviting him to visit West Virginia. During the past year, Jeffries has hosted BH executives in West Virginia dozens of times. His persistence helped lead the company to bring two BH subsidiaries, Precision Castparts Corporation (PCC) and BHE Renewables, into Jackson County, where they will build a state-of-the art titanium melt facility that manufactures products for the aerospace and other industries on the site of the old Century Aluminum Plant.

Jeffries said that when he first ran for election in 2016, he pledged to work in a bipartisan way to find solutions for the biggest problems in West Virginia. He said he plans to continue those efforts.

“I am not a politician. If a Republican constituent or a Democrat constituent calls me, if an independent or mountain party person calls me, I’m there for them,” Jeffries said. “You can probably ask any of them that spoke with, I never asked what party they’re affiliated with, I’m there to help.”

In a press release, Tony Hodge, chairman of the Putnam County Republican Party and co-chair of the West Virginia Republican Party said he recently met with Jeffries to discuss his party switch.

“Glenn described himself to me as a ‘conservative,’” Hodge said. “We agreed his policy efforts in the state Senate would be elevated if he joined the majority Republican caucus.”

The only Putnam County seat that was not held by a Republican was the 8th Senatorial District seat occupied by Jeffries, who is not up for re-election until 2024.

7th Senate District Race Preview – Stuart Vs. Stollings

The contested race for the newly formed 7th Senate District seat pits a veteran legislator against a well-known newcomer.

The contested race for the newly formed 7th senate district seat pits a veteran legislator against a well known newcomer.

Former federal prosecutor Mike Stuart was State Republican Party Chair and 2016 West Virginia Trump Campaign Co-chair. He said his opponent doesn’t reflect the values of their Boone, Lincoln, Logan and Kanawha county constituents.

“We’re a conservative district and people who value pro-life, they want lower taxes, they value freedom, they value the right to own and bear firearms,” Stuart said. “These are tenants that my people hold dear, and the candidate (that) has been there for16 years is far from that record.”

Adult Medical Specialist Dr. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, said he’s religious, endorsed by the NRA, and pro-life, but the state abortion bill went too far. The 16 year senator said transitioning from a coal economy requires dedicated funding.

“Getting more coal severance tax back to the county of origin, getting a tax credit if you locate a business on a post mine land site.Those are things that can now go through fruition, because we now have the bipartisan infrastructure plan that is made for places like my district, highly impacted coal areas,” Stollings said.

Stuart said he’ll fight for parents who need to commit their children to involuntary, long- term treatment for opioid dependence. He favors capital punishment for drug dealers.

“I support the death penalty,” Stuart said. “If you’re killing cops, if you’re carrying enough drugs, I support the death penalty for that.”

Stollings said public education needs a major overhaul and a return to funding for support programs.

“We have treated public education like it was a piece of gum on your shoe,” Stollings said. “We cut DHHR some $600 million, so those programs that help these disadvantaged kids, it’s coming back now to roost.”

Stuart said the state’s infrastructure has improved, but secondary roads in his 7th District remain deplorable.

“If that road in Tornado isn’t fixed, or that road in Harts Creek isn’t fixed, I’m going to be the guy standing there with social media saying, ‘Hey, get out here and fix this thing,’” Stuart said.

Stollings said diversifying the economy requires keeping promises like developing infrastructure along Corridor G

“The plan 25 years ago was to get infrastructure along U.S. Route 119,” Stollings said. “Particularly if you have these post-mine land sites that are now ready to be developed.”

Mike Stuart said he’s a street fighter with a sense of urgency.

Ron Stollings said far right MAGA people will cut taxes on the rich and cut services on the poor.

Senate 7th District voters will decide who will represent them next Tuesday.

RISE Nears Completion While New Homeowners Face Insurance Issues

West Virginia Department of Economic Development Community Advancement and Development Division updates Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding on RISE program.

Six years after the flooding disaster of 2016, West Virginia’s RISE flood relief program is finishing with its relief spending.

The West Virginia Department of Economic Development (DED) Community Advancement and Development (CAD) Division RISE program is funded by $149 million worth of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As of June 1st, RISE has spent $3,921,506.69 of its $6.8 million block grant disaster recovery budget. The funding was used to complete projects on 367 houses through their Housing Restoration & Rental Program and 46 bridges through their Bridge Home Program. According to Jennifer Ferrell, director of the West Virginia DED CAD Division, they plan to complete 20 more housing projects and eight more bridges.

RISE also completed 54 demolition projects out of a total of 80 to 90, through their Clearance and Demolition Program.

“We have elevated 22 percent of the houses out of the floodplain and provided flood insurance for some of our applicants,” Ferrell said.

RISE received $106 million from HUD for their mitigation projects.

“HUD defines mitigation as those activities that increase resilience to disasters, lessen the impact of future disasters, and reduce or eliminate long term risk of life and injury, damage to or loss of property and suffering and hardship,” Ferrell said.

Over $65 million was awarded to 18 projects, including two water treatment plants, two dams, one sanitary sewer relocation, nine stormwater projects and four planning projects.

RISE is accepting their second group of applications for mitigation projects through June 30. Municipalities, counties, state agencies, nonprofits, and non governmental organizations are eligible to apply for mitigation funding.

When Del. Dean Jeffries, R-Kanawha, asked Ferrell whether or not RISE homeowners could afford flood insurance, she indicated that she doesn’t have the data, but she does “guesstimate” that the amount has tripled.

“If there’s ever another disaster, they cannot receive any type of federal dollars,” Ferrell said when Jeffries asked about the consequences of not paying flood insurance.

The West Virginia RISE plans to finish their disaster recovery projects by the end of September.

RISE’s disaster recovery projects, you can visit www.wvfloodrecovery.com. For more information on their mitigation projects, you can visit https://wvcad.org/infrastructure.

Vulnerable Mine Reclamation Bond Concerns Has W.Va. Senate Planning To Be Proactive

Concerns over vulnerable mine reclamation bonds in West Virginia has the Senate attempting to be proactive according to Senate President Craig Blair (R-Berkeley) who introduced Senate Bill 1, “Creating a Mining Mutual Insurance Company” on the first day of the 2022 legislative session.

Blair spoke during the Senate Finance Committee Thursday.

The bill passed through the finance committee unanimously. It will be reported for approval to the full Senate.

“We don’t have a lick of coal in the Eastern Panhandle, but I recognize how important it is to the state of West Virginia,” said Blair, an eastern panhandle resident. “I was around for workers comp. It took us a decade to get out of that mess.”

Blair suggested that drawing Procter & Gamble to invest in building its facility in the state may not have happened if the workers comp issues weren’t previously addressed.

The P&G facility broke ground in 2015 on its $500 million, 2.5 million square foot facility near Martinsburg and went into production in 2018. It now has more than 1,400 employees.

“P&G wouldn’t be here if we didn’t get out of that (workers comp) mess,” Blair said. “I propose we be proactive this time.”

At the annual Legislative Lookahead meeting Jan. 7, Blair said one company holds about 60 percent of the mine reclamation bonds and if anything would happen to that company it could cost the state between $1 billion and $8 billion, according to estimates.

“We need to ensure some stability and protect ourselves as much as possible,” Blair added.

“We’re hoping to take a $50 million loan, just as we did for workers comp and physicians mutual and make it so that these coal companies that choose to have their own mutual, that they can have their own mutual that they can get the mine reclamation bonds through there,” Blair explained during the annual Legislative Lookahead sponsored by the West Virginia Press Association Jan. 7.

“My confidence in this bill is strong,” Blair said. “I’m making an exception in sponsoring bills. It will provide an insurance policy for the state of West Virginia and the mining industry in this state. This isn’t a bailout. It’s an insurance policy of $50 million to protect us from an exposure of between $2-4 billion. We can’t afford to let that happen.”

None of the funds will come from the mine reclamation fund, Blair said.

“There’s other places to find the $50 million,” he stated.

Blair introduced David Rader, whom Blair said, “He’s coming out of retirement to help us with this.”

Rader was appointed to the board of directors of BrickStreet Mutual in 2006 when it became a private company and served on its board until 2017. He retired in 2011 as president and CEO of West Virginia Mutual Insurance Company, the largest medical professional liability insurer in the state.

“I’m here to help if you want to do this,” Rader told the committee. “I’m making myself available and glad to do that. I love West Virginia.”

Sen. Ron Stollings (D- Boone) asked Rader of the $50 million base, “How will it help us?”

“No one knows how bad it will be,” Rader answered. “In case there’s a crisis, you have to have a minimum to start with. It’s critical.”

Sen. Stephen Baldwin (D- Greenbrier) asked, “We don’t know the source (of the $50 million)?”

“That’s this committee’s responsibility,” Rader answered. “It’s something (Sen. Finance Chair Eric) Tarr is working on. To pass this bill without the $50 million, we have nowhere to go. Until we can show that surplus, there’s no reason to apply for insurance. They won’t talk to me.

Tarr (R-Putnam) said there are “several options” for the $50 million base.

“This will be a loan,” he said. “It’ll likely come from surplus.”

Rader said the base would permit the state to write about $200 million in bonds.

“$50 million is a good number to start,” he said. “I’m optimistic that even in a worst case scenario – it’s still a win-win. It’s a benchmark, not knowing what it’s going to be. My goal is to establish stability.”

Sen. Robert Plymale (D-Wayne) voiced approval, saying “What is being designed can be of great benefit to the people of West Virginia.”

Former 9th District Senator Sue Cline Has Died

Former State Senator Sue Cline, 75, of Brenton, West Virginia, has died.

Cline served in the state senate from 2016 to 2020 representing the 9th Senatorial District. She was defeated in the 2020 Primary Election by David “Bugs” Stover who currently holds the seat.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin appointed Cline to fill the vacancy left in the West Virginia Senate after Daniel Hall’s resignation. She was a Realtor in the Beckley area and served as the vice president of the Pineville Area Chamber of Commerce. She was also a member of the Wyoming County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

During her time in the Senate, she served with three different Senate presidents. All three issued statements about her passing.

“I was shocked to learn this morning of the passing of former Senator Sue Cline,” Senate President Craig Blair said. “Sue was one of the most dedicated members I have ever served with in the West Virginia Legislature. She was a fighter and a tireless advocate for the families of her district. Her love of her state and her country were second to none. My thoughts and prayers are with her family as they remember and celebrate her life in the coming days.”

“Sue Cline embodied and personified the true essence of a dedicated public servant,” former Senate President Mitch Carmichael said. “She represented the citizens of Wyoming, Raleigh, and McDowell counties with fever, passion, and love. Her contributions to progress and opportunity in West Virginia were total and complete. Her most endearing trait was an enthusiastic, yet quiet faith in God. It is her faith that gives comfort to all who loved and respected Senator Cline that she is now with her heavenly Father.”

“From the moment she arrived to the West Virginia Senate, Sue Cline poured her heart and soul into her service,” former Senate President Bill Cole said. He was in charge of the Senate when she first arrived. “Her kind heart and her strong sense of community guided her in every way. She was a valuable part of a team that helped to change West Virginia. Sue will be sadly missed by all who were blessed to know her, and my prayers are with her family and friends during this time.”

Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin (D-Greenbrier) echoed the sentiments of his colleagues.

“I was heartbroken to learn of the death of our former colleague, Senator Sue Cline, this morning,” Baldwin said. “On behalf of our Democratic caucus, we express our sincere condolences to Sue’s family, friends, and colleagues. I served with Sue for three years and enjoyed getting to know her. She was straightforward, passionate about helping southern West Virginia, and immensely proud of her family. We worked together on a flood relief issue a few years ago, and I saw what a fierce advocate she was for her region. She will be missed, and we thank God for her service to the state of West Virginia.”

This story will be updated as more information becomes available. 

January 29, 1876: W. Va. Senate Removes Treasurer Burdett From Office

On January 29, 1876, the West Virginia State Senate removed state Treasurer John Burdett from office. Burdett had been accused of pilfering funds in a scheme with his son and offering to deposit state funds in certain banks for a personal kickback on the interest.

Burdett’s impeachment was something of a shock given his background. The Taylor County native was one of West Virginia’s founders. At the outset of the Civil War, he’d served in the Richmond Convention and voted against Virginia’s secession from the Union.

He then served as a delegate to the First and Second Wheeling Conventions, which took the first steps toward West Virginia statehood, and later served in several early state legislatures.

Burdett’s impeachment marks the only time a West Virginia official has been removed from office by the legislature. On two other occasions, the House of Delegates impeached officials. The House impeached Auditor John C. Bond for embezzlement in 1926 and Treasurer A. James Manchin in 1989 after the state lost nearly $300 million in investments. Both Bond and Manchin resigned from office before facing trial in the Senate.

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