CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Delegate Eric Porterfield says he is sorry for a legislative slowdown he caused.
Porterfield, R-Mercer, issued his apology today in a speech during the House floor session.
“I want to just tell you I’m very, very sorry,” Porterfield said.
Legislative progress drew to a crawl last Wednesday after Porterfield insisted bills up for passage would be read in their entirety. The bills wound up being speed-read by House clerks.
The long floor session resulted in some committee meetings being delayed or canceled. This was all as the legislative session comes closer to its conclusion.
His action drew widespread West Virginia news coverage and generated editorials.
Porterfield was mad about a confrontation with another delegate, Brandon Steele, on a sidewalk outside the Capitol. Porterfield had left a committee meeting before what wound up being a tie vote that killed a bill that would have pushed spouses of public employees to accept insurance coverage outside of PEIA.
Both delegates have acknowledged the angry exchange took place.
Porterfield said he had taken his concerns to the Capitol Police and House leadership, urging further action against Steele.
Porterfield made the entire House pay by objecting to bills being explained in lieu of being read aloud.
Today, having heard objections, he said he’s sorry.
“The spirit of narcissism and being full or pride is probably one of the biggest challenges I have as a Christian,” he said.
Porterfield, who was blinded years ago in a fight outside a bar, leads an organization called Blind Faith Ministries.
He was the subject of public controversy last year when he first used a slur about sexuality during a committee meeting and later indicated in a local television interview that if he had a gay son or daughter, “I just want to make sure they could swim.”
His apology today for the legislative slowdown was addressed to practically everyone, including his fellow Republicans, the Democratic leadership and his constituents in Mercer County.
“This is the result of a lot of people’s prayers, a lot of my friends telling me I’m going down the wrong path,” he said.
“People that usually aren’t on my side are telling me you may not want to do this. I’m going to get off of that road. I’m going to go back to the high road.”