Senator Laura Wakim Chapman has resigned as chairwoman of the chamber’s Health and Human Resources Committee.
Her resignation letter, obtained from the Senate, makes reference to a disagreement with Senate President Randy Smith, although it goes into few details.
“Given your demand that I promise my support to you, I am hereby immediately resigning as Health Chair,” wrote Chapman, R-Ohio.
“I made a pledge when I ran for office that my vote belongs to the people of the Northern Panhandle and not to another senator, lobbyist or special interest group.”
Smith issued a statement simply thanking Wakim Chapman for her service leading the committee.
“I have received Senator Chapman’s letter of resignation. I thank her for her leadership and hard work she put in as Chairman.“
A few minutes later, the Senate distributed a news release outlining several personnel changes, including naming Senator Brian Helton, R-Fayette, as the new chairman of the health committee.
Wakim Chapman’s resignation as chairwoman of the health committee was first reported by Amelia Knisely of West Virginia Watch.
Chapman, a Wheeling resident, was named health chair last year.
Chapman is not resigning from the Legislature and posted photos of herself yesterday filing for re-election in the coming cycle.
The other changes announced today for the Senate include:
• Senator Jay Taylor, R-Taylor, named president pro tempore, a position previously held by Donna Boley, who resigned last week following a tenure as the longest serving state senator.
• Senator Ben Queen, R-Harrison, named Senate majority whip, a position previously held by Taylor.
• Senator Anne Charnock, R-Kanawha, named chairwoman of the Committee on Confirmations, another position previously held by Boley.
“I’m grateful to these senators for agreeing to step up and take on new leadership roles as we get started this year,” Smith said.
“These changes put us in a strong position to lead with a strong West Virginia-first agenda, and I am confident that with our new leadership, we will bring monumental change to our citizens. I look forward to the work that each of these senators will do during our upcoming Regular Session.”
Although the Senate has a 32-2 Republican supermajority, that group’s focus can often break down with infighting.
COMMENTARY by DAVE WILSON: Consensus or chaos in the Senate?
Senator Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, made waves when he made a volunteer appearance at Friday’s Legislative Lookahead preview of the session and told attendees of the West Virginia Press Association event that the Senate has no agenda. Tarr repeated his assessment this week on MetroNews Talkline.
“I’ll tell you that the Senate Republican majority has no consensus on an agenda at all,” Tarr said. “I expect a bit of a free-for-all, because that’s extremely odd and I’m frustrated by that.”
Senate President Smith, speaking at an Issues & Eggs legislative preview today, said there is a plan — and that it’s up to the Senate’s committee chairs to formulate it and run it.
“I’ve got a job to do, and all I can tell you is I’m going to do my job. We do have a plan. I’ve got committee chairs sitting in here that’s been working on this, on things, their agenda since we left last session. So to say that we don’t have a plan is is kind of unfair, because we do have a plan,” Smith said this morning.
He went on to say, “You know, I put my committee chairs out there because they’re the experts on whatever they’re running. So I’m not going to go out there and, you know, seek publicity or, you know, bash anybody, because my job is to run the state Senate. I’ve got a good team. I’m proud of all my committee chairs, and they’ve worked hard all summer.”