T-Minus Nine Days and Counting

The regular legislative session is fast approaching

Good morning and welcome back to 60 Days — your soon-to-be daily newsletter focused on the activities of the West Virginia Legislature.

There are nine days until the January 11th start of the regular legislative session and I just made the disturbing discovery that my cupboard lacks coffee.

Dave and I are going to need to be well-caffeinated when things get going at the state capital next week. If you find our efforts useful, hit the “Buy Me A Coffee” button and help keep us percolating.

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Now that the coffee situation is getting sorted, it’s time to move on to something more awkward than asking for money.

Dave and I put in more than 20 years combined at West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And in the interest of further disclosure, my son now works there. We joke that it’s the family business, as if we somehow formed a public media mafia.

Last week, WVPB found itself in a pickle when it parted ways with reporter Amelia Knisely, who now joins three Charleston Gazette-Mail reporters who were fired in December.

Steven Allen Adams is the state government reporter for Ogden Newspapers, which owns a string of papers in West Virginia, including The Journal here in Martinsburg. He’s been reporting on Knisely’s claim that WVPB retaliated against her over her reporting on the state Department of Health and Human Resources. His latest includes the state Educational Broadcasting Authority’s reaction. And since this newsletter is focused on West Virginia lawmakers, I’ve also included state Senate President Craig Blair’s clapback.

The upshot—like the Gazette-Mail, WVPB is now facing questions of editorial independence just as lawmakers are set to begin their 60-day legislative session.

And since WVPB is funded in part by the state, this flap might be something to watch for when public broadcasting leaders appear for their budget hearings in the House and Senate finance committees.

Steven Allen Adams @stevenadamswv

The chairman of the board that oversees West Virginia Public Broadcasting denied claims from an employee that it had retaliated against her over reporting on the state Department of Health and Human Resources.

newsandsentinel.comWest Virginia EBA pushes back on claims of retribution against reporterThe chairman of the board that oversees West Virginia Public Broadcasting denied claims from an employee that it had retaliated against her over reporting on the state Department of Health and Human Resources. William File, the chairman of the Educational Broadcasting Authority, issued…

Senate President Craig Blair @WVSenatePres

You don’t have to like what the media reports. I’ll be honest – I often don’t. However, there’s a very clear difference between not liking what the media reports and actively working to silence them. Read my op-ed here: drive.google.com/file/d/1JtxOWd….

drive.google.comOp-Ed from Senate President Craig Blair - Freedom of the Press Still Matters to Some of Us.pdf

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From the inbox: House Communications Director Ann Ali has sent a press release announcing that Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay) has picked the major members of his leadership team and there are some notable changes for this session.

Raleigh County Delegate Brandon Steele, who mounted a failed challenge to Hanshaw’s speakership, is out as chairman of the House Government Organization Committee. He’s being replaced by Barbour County Delegate Chris Phillips. Delegate Pat McGeehan of Hancock County will serve as the panel’s Vice Chair.

Berkeley County Delegate Eric Householder is replacing Delegate Amy Summers (R-Taylor) as Majority Leader. Summers is taking over the chair of the House Health and Human Resources Committee, presumably to take on an overhaul of state Department of Health and Human Resources. (Senate President Craig Blair told MetroNews that the Senate is working on a proposal to split the agency into three.)

The rest of the House Republican leadership roster breaks down like this:

• Assistant Majority Leaders — Tyler County Delegate David Kelly, Kanawha County Delegate Dean Jeffries and Harrison County Delegate Laura Kimble.

• Majority Whip — Mercer County Delegate Marty Gearheart. Gearheart’s Deputy Whips will be Erikka Storch of Ohio County and Kanawha County’s Chris Pritt.

• Speaker Pro Tempore — Jefferson County Delegate Paul Espinosa.

• Deputy Speaker - another new role filled by Cabell County Delegate Matt Rohrbach.

With Delegate Householder taking over as Majority Leader, Wood County Delegate Vernon Criss is taking over the chairmanship of the powerful House Finance Committee. The Vice Chair will be John Hardy of Berkeley County.

Here are other House committee leadership assignments:

Committee on Economic Development and Tourism

Chair: Delegate Gary Howell, R-Mineral

Vice Chair: Delegate Wayne Clark, R-Jefferson

Technology and Infrastructure Committee

Chair: Delegate Daniel Linville, R-Cabell

Vice Chair: Delegate Jarred Cannon, R-Putnam

Education Committee

Chair: Delegate Joe Ellington, R-Mercer,

Vice Chair: Delegate Joe Statler, R-Monongalia

Vice Chair: Delegate Christopher Toney, R-Raleigh

Energy Committee 

Chair: Delegate Bill Anderson, R-Wood

Vice Chair: Delegate Mark Zatezalo, R-Hancock

Judiciary Committee

Chair: Delegate Moore Capito, R-Kanawha

Vice Chair: Delegate Tom Fast, R-Fayette

Committee on Government Organization

Chair: Delegate Chris Phillips, R-Barbour

Vice Chair: Delegate Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock

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State Senate President Craig Blair has also named his Republican leadership roster.

Kanawha County Senator Tom Takubo remains as Majority Leader and Brooke County Senator Ryan Weld will continue as Majority Whip.

Here are the committee assignments for chair and vice chair:

Finance

Chair: Senator Eric J. Tarr, R-Putnam

Vice Chair: Senator. Rupie Phillips, R-Logan

Judiciary

Chair: Senator Charles S. Trump IV, R-Morgan

Vice Chair: Senator Majority Whip Ryan Weld, R-Brooke

Education

Chair: Senator Amy Nichole Grady, R-Mason

Vice Chair: Senator Charles Clements, R-Wetzel

Government Organization

Chair: Senator Jack Woodrum, R-Summers

Vice Chair: Senator Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley

Health and Human Resources

Chair: Senator Mike Maroney, R-Marshall

Vice Chair: Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha

Energy, Industry and Mining

Chair: Senator Randy Smith, R-Tucker

Vice Chair: Senator Ben Queen, R-Harrison

Transportation and Infrastructure

Chair: Senator Charles Clements, R-Wetzel

Vice Chair: Senator Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha

Military

Chair: Senator Ryan Weld, R-Brooke

Vice Chair: Senator Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier

Banking and Insurance

Chair: Senator Mike Azinger, R-Wood

Vice Chair: Senator Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia

Natural Resources/Agriculture

Chair: Senator Bill Hamilton, R-Upshur

Vice Chair: Senator David “Bugs” Stover, R-Wyoming

Economic Development

Chair: Senator Chandler Swope, R-Mercer

Vice Chair: Senator Patrick Martin, R-Lewis

Alternate Education

Chair: Senator Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson

Vice Chair: Senator Mark Maynard, R-Wayne

Outdoor Recreation

Chair: Senator Mark Maynard, R-Wayne

Vice Chair: Senator Jay Taylor, R-Taylor

Pensions

Chair: Senator Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha

Vice Chair: Senator Mark Hunt, R-Kanawha

Workforce

Chair: Senator Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh

Vice Chair: Senator Glenn Jeffries, R-Putnam

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That’s it for me this week.

If you know of anyone interested in following the West Virginia Legislature with Dave and me, please share this post with them.

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