The cursed… and boring legislative session of 2008 February 5, 2008
What in the world is going on with this legislative session?
First, there is the simple fact that we are doing little, if anything about… well, anything.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a few initiatives worth following.
Certainly, the Senate’s push to eliminate the franchise tax over the next 40 years (OK, it’s only five, but you get my drift) versus the Republicans push for a total elimination is worth watching.
The Governor’s kooky plan to hire half the Promise scholars to hold hearings on the other half of Promise scholars to see if they REALLY can find jobs in the state or have to pay it back, is beyond silly, but at least interesting. (OK, a quick aside, isn’t it near moronic to create a new government agency to try to monitor whether or not Promise scholars should have to pay back their money? Typical Democratic idea, give more money away, and then create more government to monitor whether or not we should give that same money back, ridiculous.)
The Senate went to Day 14 before we even had a meaningless vote on the floor. Day FOURTEEN. Holy smokes. And, then it was a few meaningless pieces of legislation.
I have seen slow sessions, but nothing like this. It’s crazy.
The last few sessions have been the same. Slow, slow starts. It shows we could easily compact the session and go back to the days of one 60 day session and then 30 day budget session the next year.
Of course, the boring nature is one issue, but I’ve never seen a session like this.
There are tragedies, Senator McKenzie’s daughter passing away after only three weeks (the memorial service in Wheeling may have been one of the saddest events I have ever been part of, it was heart-wrenching, I don’t recall ever seeing something that everyone cried, let alone seeing dozens of grown men sobbing their eyes out, it was painful, but uplifting in many ways, Senator McKenzie did an amazing job and it certainly gives you a different perspective on life), Delegate Marshall’s husband and Legislative Auditor Ted Shanklin passing away.
It has been a session, because of few votes were the Senate was missing eight or nine members, unheard of…
Then, you have at least seven Senators retiring and most likely an eighth leaving (Senator Jesse Guills who will likely be the next Judge in Greenbrier Co.) and with the normal course of the election cycle, you could look for more. Couple that with last election’s retirement of four Senators and in two years, you’ve had 11 members step away from the Senate.
It’s unprecendented in modern politics. The last time the Senate has seen anything like this was in 1932 when you had a mass outing of Republicans in favor of FDR Democrats (and the state has been on the downhill slide ever since).
Needless to say, this is the oddest session of my 14. But, the light at the end of the tunnel is a huge influx of new blood to the Senate and hopefully a change in the legislative process for the better.
Loading...
6 Responses to “The cursed… and boring legislative session of 2008”
Why should West Virginians, who continually vote for these people expect anything more Vic ?
The State is “fat and happy”, flush with all the coal severance and gambling money so… why change anything ?
The Democrats know they will prevail in all elections no matter what and act accordingly.
My high-school age son came home yesterday and told me about a bill being talked about in Charleston that would allow schools to use a 4 day week. He likes the idea, since he’s only allowed to work his fast food job on weekends.
Is this a possibility?
Thanks
News headlines on the radio this week:
“Legislature debating allocation of capitol parking spaces”
“Legislature votes to have 2 slogans on the welcome to WV billboards”
These important and meaty topics confirm your thesis, Vic.
I kind of like the inactivity. The less they do the less they can screw up. I would hope every year that cutting some of our unfunded liabilities(workmans comp,etc) should get top priority; ie cut the size of government and salaries.
Cut the size of government from the top down; department heads and assistants, not the actual workers.
Any news on whether or not non-teacher state workers will get a raise? I agree with BillA that there could be some trimming from management in some of these agencies, but the frontline workers who provide the services to the customers only get more and more work piled on them and there aren’t enough of them to do the work properly and timely. I know someone who works as an office assistant and she only makes $13,000 a year starting out. It’s no wonder there’s so much turnover. No one can live on $13000 a year. You can’t pay rent and make a car payment on that. And if that employee had a child or two, then she would probably qualify for welfare.
The Legislature should take a serious stand for school SERVICE personnel in our State! When the State gives raises to teachers, it would be great if the State would give an ACROSS-THE-BOARD RAISE to school service personnel and teachers. Service personnel continue to fall further and further behind because our salaries are so much less than the “professional” personnel. As a secretary in the school system, and working 26 years prior as a legal secretary, I am as professional in my job as ANY teacher or administrator is in their job. I would like, just one time, to see our Legislature give an across-the-board raise to ALL school employees…..just once!!