Storch: What I’m Watching in Charleston
The West Virginia Legislature is approaching the halfway point of its regular session. Thursday, February 12, will be halfway. In legislative time, that is the moment when the polite introductions are over, and the real work begins. It’s crunch time. Bills that were theoretical a few weeks ago suddenly have committee numbers, fiscal notes, and the opposition starts to identify itself. Ideas either gain momentum or quietly fade away. So, the question for citizens is a simple one. Are you pleased? For most West Virginians, the honest answer is probably, “I’m not sure.” Not because people do not care, but because following the Legislature can feel like trying to board a moving train. Committee meetings start early and can go long. Floor sessions move quickly. Amendments sometimes seem to appear with little warning and can be difficult to find. Headlines capture only a fraction of what is actually happening inside the Capitol. Yet this halfway mark is exactly when paying attention matters most. Early in the session, legislators introduce hundreds of bills. Some are simply rollovers. I have addressed this in past columns. Some are serious policy proposals. Others are conversation starters. Some are written to solve real problems, and some are written to make a point. By the midpoint, the clutter is gone. The bills still alive are the ones with a real chance of becoming law. This is when you can actually judge performance. If you support economic development, you, like me, will be excited to see the House bill coming out to encourage and promote development, similar to Jobs Ohio. If education matters to you, watch the education committees and subcommittees. There are several other committees and subcommittees that meet almost every day. A quick check of the website, wvlegislature.gov, should show when committees of interest meet each week. The agendas are posted to see what will be discussed. One can have a very transparent view of their legislators. The key is not whether you agree with every vote. The key is whether the Legislature is focusing on issues that genuinely affect daily life in West Virginia. I always encourage people to avoid evaluating a session based solely on social media. A single clip from a floor speech rarely ever tells the full story. Legislative work mostly happens in committees. That is where experts testify, lobbyists make points, agencies explain consequences, and amendments reshape bills. By the time a bill reaches the House or Senate floor, many of the important decisions have already been made. So, what should you be watching right now? First, watch what moves quickly. Speed at the Capitol usually means leadership support. If a bill flies through committees and reaches the floor within days, it is a priority. Whether you like it or not, that is where the Legislature is placing its political capital. Second, watch what stalls. A bill that sits in committee for weeks tells a story as well. Sometimes lawmakers cannot agree. Sometimes the policy has unintended costs. Sometimes, leadership is unsure whether the public supports it. Silence inside the process is often more revealing than debate. Third, watch the money. Every session eventually becomes about the budget. The debates make headlines, but the costs determine the reality. Where is the funding going? Is any funding shrinking? Are lawmakers investing in long-term growth or addressing short-term pressures? I find the finance committee very interesting. The budget is the truest reflection of legislative priorities. Fourth, watch cooperation. West Virginia government functions best when branches communicate. When the House, Senate, and Governor’s Office move in coordination, legislation tends to be clearer and implementation smoother. When they clash, confusion follows. You may enjoy political drama, but agencies and citizens rarely benefit from it. Finally, watch your own delegate and senators. Not just how they vote but also watch how they participate. Do they speak in committee? Do they sponsor legislation? Do they attend meetings consistently? Serving is more than a green or red button on a voting board. It is engagement, preparation, and advocacy for district concerns. This midpoint is also a good time for citizens to act. Many people wait until a bill passes to react. By then, it is often too late. Legislators are most open to input before a committee vote, not after a floor vote. A short, respectful email explaining how a policy affects your job, business, or family carries more weight than an angry social media post. Personal emails, rather than cutting and pasting the same prepared message will go a lot farther. You do not need to be a policy expert. You only need to be a constituent. So again, are you pleased? Maybe you are encouraged by the direction of the session. Maybe you are frustrated. Maybe you have not decided yet. All three are reasonable. But the halfway point is not a spectator moment. It is a participation moment. The laws passed in the next few weeks will shape taxes, schools, infrastructure, and economic opportunity long after the gavels fall on the final night. The Legislature is doing its job right now. The real question is whether we are doing ours by paying attention. Read the full article
