………The clock is ticking! The West Virginia Legislature gaveled in on its 2065 60-day session on Wed., Feb. 12. While in days past the first few weeks legislation moved at a snail’s pace, as committees sat through budget and department hearings, I expect the process to be more efficient this year.
…A new set of rules on public hearings is now in place in the House of Delegates. Under the previous rules, a bill is assigned to a committee, and must be voted on and referred to the House floor with a recommendation that it “do pass.” An agenda of what bills will be taken up the next day is printed and dispersed with the intent to make legislators, lobbyists and the public aware of what bills will be discussed and voted on at the next committee meeting.
In the past when a bill is on the agenda, anyone could call for a public hearing. That requires delaying the bill for two days to allow ample time for bill opponents (and pro-ponents) to travel to Charleston to speak on the bill.
The new rule does away with public hearings. Critics say that by doing away with public hearings the public is deprived of an opportunity to have input on the bill. That is true, but the larger story is “does the public hearing have any impact on whether the bill passes out of committee or not.” The answer to that question is NO, The public hearings are pretty much a dog and pony show and have no effect on which way the delegates will vote. Some of the delegates don’t even show up for the public hearing or worse, sleep through them.
……What the public hearing does do, however, is slow the progress of the bill down. If it is nearing the end of the session and time is of the essence to get a bill through and over to the other chamber, the delay may mean the demise of the bill.
……..As of Friday, 505 bills have been introduced in the Senate and over 300 bills in the House and we’re just getting started. I was doing a quick once over when I saw the short title of a House Bill,”Say no to the good old boy governance.” Finally, a bill both parties could get behind. Wait, well maybe just the women. I never objected to the Good Ole Boy system. How could I, my Dad had an article written about him in LIFE Magazine in 1973 entitled “The Good Ole Boy.” Nope, what I objected to was that I couldn’t seem to penetrate their group and become a “Good Ole Girl.”
……But, I digress. The bill adds a section to the statute that created the Ethics Act. The new sections prohibits any “elected official” from appointing a family member and defines family member as “spouse, ex-spouse, son, daughter, grandchild, brother, sister, aunt, or uncle.” Think about it, this is West Virginia where we all are related one step or two steps off. I am constantly reminded in this small town that I am related to many people I did not know I lay claim to. I once went to a Christmas Dance with the late Bob Mayhew from Pughtown. During the course of the evening I asked him what the H stood for in his middle name. It was Herron. My last name was Herron. No worry, after talking with my Dad I was told that Herron was related through my mother. What will this mean? Will an elected official and the potential hire each need to take a test verifying they are not related in the future?
…….The concept is a good one. Think about it. Sen. Jim Justice appointed his wife, Cathy, to the Board of Education prior to leaving the Governor’s Office. So did former Sen. And Governor Joe Manchin who appointed his wife, Gayle, to the Board of Education and his son, Joe, to the Tourism Commission. The bill addresses municipal, county and state elected officials.
……Things need to get moving if the county is going to recoup the one percent of the racetrack video lottery revenue. It can’t get started, however, it the delegate who sponsored the bill that took the one percent from the county (Del. Mark Zatezalo) won’t return phone calls to the County Commission President Eron Chek. Without communication the problem will never get resolved.
……… Perhaps, all the organization coming to the County Commission should be given Zatezalo’s number and e-mail or better yet, get together and take a bus to Charleston and demand a meeting.
…….This situation is government at it’s worst. Failure to respond to a constituent, be it the President of the County Commission, or a citizen with a problem is a dereliction of duty and contrary to a delegate or senator’s primary purpose. Zatezalo seem to be ignoring the fundamental fact that he is a “Public Servant” bound to respond to his public.
…….Can you tell this just makes me madder than ****?
