House Health Chairman Matthew Rohrbach says he was disappointed by Gov. Jim Justice’s veto of a bill that would have divided the Department of Health and Human Resources. He also said lawmakers haven’t given up on reorganizing state government’s biggest agency.
“It was a disappointment to see House Bill 4020 vetoed, but I understand why Governor Justice felt the need to do so. The Legislature hears reports from DHHR on a regular and recurring basis, and we know there is much work to be done to improve that agency and its outcomes,” said Rohrbach, R-Cabell.
“We look forward to the thorough review Governor Justice is requesting, and we hope the Legislature can participate in those discussions.”
The bill would have divided the administration’s largest agency into the Department of Health and the Department of Human Resources, each with its own commissioner.
Lawmakers of both parties in the Senate and House of Delegates said the split is necessary to get a handle on the agency’s finances as well as its complicated missions of promoting the health of West Virginians, combatting drug addiction issues, supporting the state’s most vulnerable children and more.
Delegates passed the bill 83-11, and senators passed it 32-2.
Justice announced a veto Wednesday, saying more thought needs to go toward how the agency should be shaped.
“I am committed to making the DHHR better, but we cannot afford to play politics when people’s lives hang in the balance. We need to be certain before we act,” Justice stated.
Justice also acknowledged that more work must be done to improve the agency’s outcomes. The governor said his administration would work with national experts and industry leaders for a top-to-bottom review “so that we may clearly identify its issues, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies.
“We will work to develop a plan to address any and all problems, which may very well require a full reorganization of the agency. But we will do so in an effective and efficient way, so we can make sure there is no lapse in any vital support or services for the West Virginians who rely on the DHHR.”
Rohrbach said lawmakers will continue to examine better ways to handle the work of DHHR.
“The Legislature is not, in any way, letting up its work in finding ways to shape a better model for public service at DHHR,” he said. “We still firmly believe the agency needs separated in order to succeed, and we plan to bring this issue up again as early as the June meeting of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability.”
Other members of the House of Delegates were publicly critical of the governor’s veto, including his wording.
Passed House 83-11. Passed Senate 32-2. That's apparently "playing politics" per @WVGovernor. He could hold meetings with legislators about his concerns during session but that would require showing up. #wvpol https://t.co/VE33PlWFWk
— Shawn Fluharty (@WVUFLU) March 31, 2022
Can’t afford to “play politics”…this bill was overwhelmingly supported by both parties. We’re politicians but not everything we do is political, a lot is just common sense policy. https://t.co/umU1HJh2nx
— Kayla Young (@kaylayoungforwv) March 31, 2022