LEWISBURG W.Va. (WVDN) – On Thursday, Oct. 23, members of the West Virginia House Democrats met with the community at the Clingman Center. This was the eighth stop of the Kitchen Table Tour, a series of meetings with constituents around the State to listen to their concerns and answer questions prior to the next legislative session. Present were Mike Pushkin, Delegate from Kanawha and Chair of the WV Democratic Party, Kayla Young, Delegate from Kanawha, and Sean Hornbuckle, Delegate from Cabell County and House Minority Leader. Also present was Olivia Dowler, Interim President of the WV Young Democrats.
Over 70 participants and the panel discussed issues such as the impact of the Hope Voucher program on public schools, funding for the arts, and food insecurity in the wake of the loss of SNAP benefits. The panel talked about ways to fix problems, such as the Foster Care system and funding for PEIA. The panel noted that they focus on working across the aisle to solve problems, but that the supermajority often excludes them from meetings prior to the start of the sessions. Kayla Young stated that the best way to effect change was for constituents to follow the activities of the State House and Senate during the session and contact their delegates to inform them of their position on various proposed bills.
The Kitchen Table Tour will continue next week with stops in Flatwoods on Oct. 28 and Beckley on Nov. 3. For more information, go to www.wvdemocrats.com or check out the WV Democrats page on Facebook.
