CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Higher Education Chancellor Dr. Paul Hill anticipates a higher education issues will get a good reception with the new leadership in the state legislature.
“These are issues that cut across the aisle,” Hill said recently. “Education is important to economic development in the state. It’s important to the future of the state and certainly a very common denominator of discussion for everyone at the statehouse.”
New Republican leadership in the House and Senate will bring new education committee chairs. Preston County Sen. Dave Sypolt will chair the Senate Education Committee and Monongalia County Del. Amanda Pasdon is the new chair of the House Education Committee.
Marshall University will have a new representative during the 60-day session following the tragic death of President Stephen Kopp. Chancellor Hill said interim president Gary White is well-known and predicts he’ll do well with lawmakers.
“He knows a lot of the leadership statewide and he’s been recognized as such himself and I think he puts Marshall on solid footing to make sure their voices are part of that conversation,” Hill said.
The regular session begins Jan. 14.