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Halfway Home at the Legislature · Commentary - TJ Meadows

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  Speaker 1: Let's go rapid fire on capital happenings from this week.
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  Speaker 1: My time on talk line is just over a year,
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: but politics has been a long time pastime. From following
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  Speaker 1: West Virginia politics as a kid to later tracking more
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  Speaker 1: than a dozen state houses and even DC, I've seen
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  Speaker 1: a lot. Still some moments surprise you. This week, House
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  Speaker 1: Majority Leader Pat McGeehan delivered a sharp broadside at the
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  Speaker 1: business community over everify.
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  Speaker 2: Perhaps they oppose it because a lot of these associations
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  Speaker 2: that you just named love to make money at the
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: expense of our people through illegal labor.
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  Speaker 1: That's a serious claim and one offered without evidence. Rhetoric
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  Speaker 1: like that travels. Any company looking at West Virginia might
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  Speaker 1: hit pause after hearing it, and politically, that sound bite
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  Speaker 1: could show up in a campaign ad someday, maybe one
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  Speaker 1: in the next election. On taxes, Governor Morrissey keeps pushing
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: for a ten percent personal income tax cut. The Senate
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  Speaker 1: it sounds open to finding a path that way. The
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  Speaker 1: House says it's only seen a five percent plan so
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  Speaker 1: far and once details before going bigger. My read ten
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  Speaker 1: percent probably clears the Senate, but the House may slow
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  Speaker 1: it down. That could bring political heat in an election year.
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  Speaker 1: Though the House has carved out a reputation lately as
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  Speaker 1: the fiscal caution chamber, there's risk and reward in that role.
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  Speaker 1: There's also political upside to standing up to Governor Morrissey
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  Speaker 1: on this and saying no, if messaged properly. That said,
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  Speaker 1: most insiders still think some level of tax cut gets done.
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  Speaker 1: Few politicians want to run against tax relief on the
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  Speaker 1: campaign trail. On the school aid formula and special education funding,
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  Speaker 1: both chambers are talking, but time is short and consensus
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  Speaker 1: is hard. It's complex, it's expensive, and it needs a quarterback.
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  Speaker 1: Senate Education Chair Amy Nicole Grady says she's ready to
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  Speaker 1: lead if the governor gives her the green light. Realistically,
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  Speaker 1: a partial funding boost for special education this year may
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  Speaker 1: be the most achievable step. And finally, credit to Secretary
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  Speaker 1: of State Chris Warner, he declined DOJ's request for West
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  Speaker 1: Virginia voter data because state law doesn't allow it. That's
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  Speaker 1: choosing the rule of law over pressure. The bigger question
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  Speaker 1: is why DOJ asked twice for something state law clearly bars.
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  Speaker 1: If any agency should know the law and respect the law,
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  Speaker 1: it's the Department of Justice. Why they asked, knowing it's illegal,
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  Speaker 1: that deserves answers. What will the second half of the
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  Speaker 1: session bring, ask me on day sixty one,