COMMENTARY
After spending more than a week contemplating the completed 60-day legislative session, trying to grade the session is an exercise in futility.
Everyone can put their political spin on the session to make the case that it was a roaring success or an unmitigated disaster. What should be obvious is that the session lacked focus and the Republican super majority no longer has a defined platform.
For decades Republican lawmakers dreamed of the initiatives they would pursue, if they were in the majority. The GOP finally got that chance in 2014, winning a majority of seats in the House of the Delegates for the first time since 1931. When Wyoming Senator Daniel Hall switched parties following the 2014 election, Republicans took a majority in the Senate and were on the path to unprecedented electoral success in West Virginia.
In the subsequent decade Republicans implemented a conservative agenda and continued to add to its majority. The GOP led legislature passed Right to Work legislation, repealed prevailing wage, passed constitutional carry, and limited abortions to a few narrow exceptions. It opened the door for school choice and did away with former Governor Manchin’s alternative energy mandate.
It also held firm on flat line budgets, limiting government spending.
In 2023, it passed legislation to reduce the state income tax by 21.5% and provided a path toward eliminating the state income tax entirely.
By the time the 2024 election rolled around, Republicans had checked off all the major initiatives. Completing the to-do list coincided with the election of a new governor and a number of new legislators. The result was a legislative session without a direction.
In the absence of a defined mission, the session sputtered along with bills aimed at social issues filling that void.
Lawmakers did pass HB 2014, meant to attract more data centers to West Virginia and a key piece of Gov. Morrisey’s agenda. Other bills meaningful bills were approved such as universal licensing reciprocity, another Morrisey priority and Lauren’s Law, which increases penalties involving dangerous illegal drugs.
However, lawmakers failed to take meaningful action to address the state’s overburdened foster care system. Business leaders said the session was a missed opportunity to grow the state’s economy and expressed frustration that economic development was not a higher priority.
Despite the lack of direction, there are no signs that Republicans are in danger of losing super majorities in the House or Senate any time soon. However, the party needs to remember its success over the last decade was due in part other having a defined plan and successfully implementing that plan.