CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, today announced several leadership roles within the West Virginia House of Delegates and a change to the committee format for the upcoming 87th Legislature.
Hanshaw, first elected to the House in 2014, is expected to be elected House Speaker for the fifth time when the House convenes for the 87th Legislature Wednesday, Jan. 8.
“Each of the ladies and gentlemen who will come to this building to take the oath of office will do so with the confidence of the 1.8 million West Virginians who are counting on us to chart a course of leadership and progress that will improve their daily lives,” Hanshaw said. “A new Legislature is an opportunity to adjust the foundation we have here to facilitate the work of the House, and we believe the lineup we’ve assembled will bring about new discussions, new approaches and new solutions.”
Returning to the position of Majority Whip will be Delegate Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer. Delegate Matt Rohrbach, R-Cabell, will serve as Speaker Pro Tempore as well as continue to serve as Deputy Speaker, a role Delegate David Kelly, R-Tyler, will take on as well.
Delegate Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock, will serve as House Majority Leader. Several members will serve as Assistant Majority Leaders: Delegates Tom Clark, R-Webster; David Green, R-McDowell; Keith Marple, R-Harrison; Delegate-elect Dave McCormick, R-Monongalia; Erica Moore, R-Roane; Mickey Petitto, R-Harrison; and Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette.
Gearheart will be aided in his role with several Assistant Majority Whips: Delegates Jim Butler, R-Mason; Jordan Bridges, R-Logan; Eric Brooks, R-Raleigh; Dave Foggin, R-Wood; Delegate-elect Sarah Drennan, R-Putnam; and Bill Ridenour, R-Jefferson.
The Conference Chairman role will be filled by Delegate Mike Hornby, R-Berkeley, who will help facilitate majority caucus meetings and policy discussions among Republican members. Delegates John Paul Hott, R-Grant, and Doug Smith, R-Mercer, will return to their roles as Conference Vice Chairmen.
“In addition to a strong blend of new and established leadership, I’m excited to implement a new format for our committee work here in the House,” Hanshaw said. “For far too long, the success rate of a legislative session has been measured by the number of bills passed, and that’s just not the appropriate assessment for what should be a focus on problem-solving.
“We’ve seen that the low-hanging fruits, such as the elimination of the food tax and creation of an Intermediate Court of Appeals, have already been picked after 10 years of a Republican majority. What’s left are the complex, complicated issues that will require a different approach to lawmaking.”
The House will have six standing committees: Health and Human Resources, Energy and Public Works, Finance, Government Organization, Education and Judiciary. The Standing Committee on Finance will have four subcommittees and all other standing committees each will have three subcommittees. The committee process also will see changes.
The Speaker will refer each introduced bill to a standing committee or a subcommittee, and similar to the floor session’s three-day process, a bill going through the committee process may cover three days: Introduction, with agency reviews and comments from the public on day one, markups to the bill on day two and committee votes on day three. Both the subcommittees and standing committees will follow this process.
“Not only did we want to build in specific and predictable steps with appropriate timing for the committee process, but we also wanted to better execute our oversight role,” Hanshaw said. “Not every problem is solved by enacting a new law, and we think regular discussions with Executive Branch agencies will give all of us a better understanding of the challenges, successes and resources out there in every corner of our state.”
The Standing Committee on Finance will be led by Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, with Delegate Clay Riley, R-Harrison, serving as Vice Chair. Its Subcommittee on Revenue will be led by Gearheart as its Chairman and Delegate Chuck Horst, R-Berkeley, as Vice Chair. Delegate Trenton Barnhart, R-Pleasants, will be Chairman of the Banking and Insurance Subcommittee and Delegate Walter Hall, R-Kanawha, will be the Vice Chair. The Investments Subcommittee will have Delegate Jarred Cannon, R-Putnam, as Chairman and Delegate-elect Ray Canterbury, R-Greenbrier, as Vice Chair. The Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman will be Hott and Roy Cooper, R-Summers, will serve as its Vice Chair.
Delegate Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, will serve as Chairman of the Standing Committee on the Judiciary and Delegate JB Akers, R-Kanawha, will be its Vice Chair. The Courts Subcommittee will be led by Delegate Phil Mallow, R-Marion, as its Chairman and Delegate Andy Shamblin, R-Kanawha, as Vice Chair. Delegate Buck Jennings, R-Preston, will serve as Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee and Delegate Bryan Ward, R-Hardy, as its Vice Chairman. Delegate Laura Kimble, R-Harrison, will lead the Legal Services Subcommittee as its Chairman and Delegate Josh Holstein, R-Boone, will serve as its Vice Chair.
Delegate Evan Worrell, R-Cabell, will serve as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Health and Human Resources. Delegate Michael Hite, R-Berkeley, will be its Vice Chair. The Public Health Subcommittee will be led by Delegate Scot Heckert, R-Wood, and Vice Chairman Geno Chiarelli, R-Monongalia. Delegate Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis, will be Chairman of the Human Services Subcommittee with Delegate Margitta Mazzocchi, R-Logan, serving as its Vice Chair. The Health Care Regulation Subcommittee will have Delegate Dean Jeffries, R-Kanawha, serving as Chairman and Delegate Adam Vance, R-Wyoming, as its Vice Chair.
The Standing Committee on Government Organization will be led by Delegate Chris Phillips, R-Barbour, as its Chairman and Doug Smith, R-Mercer, as Vice Chair. Its Subcommittee on Government Administration will have Delegate Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason, as its Chairman and Delegate Mark Dean, R-Mingo, as its Vice Chair. The Subcommittee on Local Governments will be led by Chairman Dana Ferrell, R-Kanawha, and Vice Chairman Mike DeVault, R-Marion. The Agriculture, Commerce and Tourism Subcommittee will be led by Delegate Wayne Clark, R-Jefferson, as its Chairman and Delegate Patrick Lucas, R-Cabell, as its Vice Chair.
The Standing Committee on Education will be led by Chairman Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, and Delegate Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, will serve as its Vice Chair. The Delegate Chris Toney, R-Raleigh, will serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Public Education and Delegate Jeff Campbell, R-Greenbrier, as its Vice Chair. Delegate Lori Dittman, R-Braxton, will be Chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee with Delegate Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke, serving as its Vice Chair. Delegate Kathie Hess-Crouse will serve as Chairman of the Educational Choice Subcommittee and Delegate Mike Hornby, R-Berkeley, as its Vice Chair.
Delegate Bill Anderson, R-Wood, will be Chairman of the Standing Committee on Energy and Public Works with Delegate Mark Zatezalo, R-Hancock, serving as its Vice Chair. Delegate Bob Fehrenbacher, R-Wood, will serve as Chairman of the Energy and Manufacturing Subcommittee with Delegate George Street, R-Preston, as its Vice Chair. The Economic Development Subcommittee will be led by Chairman Gary Howell, R-Mineral, and Vice Chairman Jordan Maynor, R-Raleigh. Chairman Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, will lead the Environment and Infrastructure Subcommittee with Delegate Rick Hillenbrand, R-Hampshire, serving as its Vice Chair.
“We know this will be a big adjustment for a lot of us, especially our staff and the public, but we are optimistic about this approach, which we think will be easier to follow and will lead to a more solution-oriented approach to lawmaking,” Hanshaw said.
