This year will be historic in the State Senate.

Not because of the legislation passed. Certainly not in an election year.

But, this will be one of, if not THE, largest purge of Senate members in recent history.

I count a minimum of SEVEN Senators not running again. And, if certain elections break the right way, you could easily look at 10 or 11 new State Senators next year.

That, in itself, is shocking.

What is even more shocking is that this new class of State Senators will lead the redistricting of the Senate in 2012. While they are not thinking this way as they file, this new class will have a major influence over the direction of the state for the next decade.

Seven senators are not seeking reelection. Myself, Senator Andy McKenzie of Ohio County, and Senator John Yoder of Jefferson County are the Republicans bowing out.

Senator Shirley Love from Fayette, Senator Jon Blair Hunter from Mon County, Senator Billy Wayne Bailey from Wyoming and most likely Senator Bill Sharpe from Lewis County.

Should a few races break the right way, even more Senators are gone.

Senator Jesse Guills will most likely be the next Circuit Judge from Greenbrier County. That’s number eight.

If hell freezes over, and the heavens open up and rain fire and brimstone onto the earth… AFTER those two events occur, then Senator John Unger might, possibly, could… beat Shelley Capito for Congress, that would be nine.

And, of course, you always have an possible Republican like Clark Barnes or Mike Hall jumping into another race.

All those changes are BEFORE any of the other Senators actually run for reelection. They most likely won’t all win…

So, you could be looking at 10 or 11 new State Senators, the largest purge of the State Senate in history… a 33% turnover in one election? Wow.

This large purge will occur right as the Senate gets set to draw new redistricting maps across the state.

And, this new class will impact the state for years to come. What a responsibility - that most don’t even know yet…