By Jack Cipoletti
I may be naïve, but I have high hopes for the 2020 WV legislative session.
I hope we’ll see an environment of civility, cooperation, compromise and bipartisanship so that we don’t lose any more conscientious delegates or senators.
I hope we’ll see bills presented and evaluated on their own merit, without layers of unrelated components tacked on to leverage passage.
I hope we’ll see members of committees charged with vetting those bills allowed to do so openly and objectively without fear of removal from the committee. And I hope the committee chairs understand their charge is to lead the vetting process, not dictate outcomes.
I hope legislators explain why they support or oppose a bill in a concise, honest manner, rather than language that is contrived and dizzyingly spinned.
I hope legislators remember the vast majority of WV citizens are not represented by any of the 350 lobbyists, but that doesn’t mean we should be forgotten when they step on the Capitol Campus.
I hope the legislators start each day with a new Pledge of Allegiance in addition to the one dedicated to the flag of the United States. It would go something like this:
“I Pledge Allegiance to my constituents and all citizens of West Virginia, considering them ahead of my political party, the leader of my chamber, the chair of each committee on which I serve, fellow legislators, and lobbyists. I pledge to perform the duties of my office to the best of my ability in serving the people who entrusted me to do just that.”
A couple years ago, I had a conversation with a prominent senator, during which I expressed concern about the culture developing in our legislature. He didn’t disagree with my observation, but said I just don’t understand how things get done down there. I responded, “To the contrary, I do understand how things get done down there and that’s precisely what concerns me and countless others.”
So, these are the high hopes I have for the upcoming legislative session. I urge other citizens who have similar hopes to express them to the delegates and senators representing them. A phone call, letter or email will let them know you are out there and watching. Contacting them more than once would be even better. Changing the way things get done down there is overdue.
— Jack Cipoletti is a resident of Charleston, owner of Point Forward Media and serves as a consultant for the West Virginia Press Association.
Charleston, WV