From the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington:
Unlike the president’s State of the Union speech or a presidential inaugural address, the annual State of the State speech given by the governor to kick off the annual regular session of the Legislature rarely contains memorable rhetorical flourishes.
There’s almost never an “ask not what your country can do for you” or “with malice toward none; with charity for all” moment.
So it was Wednesday night when Gov. Jim Justice gave his fourth State of the State speech. Perhaps its most memorable moment was when Justice had state road workers pass out orange safety vests to legislators as a reminder of progress the governor says has been made on improving the state’s transportation network.
Other than that, by the time a full seven days has passed, little will be remembered from the governor’s speech. The governor proposes; the Legislature disposes.
To quote a more memorable speech, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” Voters don’t judge a legislative session by the words spoken at its start. They judge a session by the results they see at the end. From early indications, the welfare of children, especially those affected by their parents’ drug addiction, is a priority for legislators of both parties. Likewise eliminating a waiting list for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who seek Medicaid waivers. …