For the week ending Feb. 21, 2025
In addition to carrying out their legislative work this week, members of the West Virginia House of Delegates joined members of the Senate to collect donations for West Virginians affected by recent flooding.
“We’ve had record-setting flood waters, three feet higher than historic records, with county-wide damage,” Delegate David Green, R-McDowell, said during the Feb. 21 floor session before requesting a moment of silence. “There was no community in McDowell County that did not feel the impact of the flood. Sadly, our greatest loss was that we have lost four community members: three in the flood itself, a couple and their 2-year-old grandchild, as well as a seasoned firefighter.”
Delegate Green said 75% of McDowell County residents were left without power or water and roadways were so heavily impacted more than half the county had been heavily restricted from accessing its only hospital.
“Many residents are currently stranded, even today with their personal access bridge or roads washed away completely,” he said. “We have residents in our county that have lost their homes and some who are living in emergency shelters throughout the county.”
Green explained that the county’s schools are on “temporary hold,” and the state superintendent is working with the county superintendent to craft a plan for students to able to finish the school year.
“We truly appreciate our service providers working very hard to help restore our services,” he said. “I’m very pleased to say, and thankful to say, that we only have 10 homes now without power. With water, we still have close to 4,000 residents without public water in addition to 2,000 residents who can’t use their wells until they’re sanitized. It’s also estimated 35% of our county is still without phone service.
“We truly say thank you. We are in need of help, but we are confident our statesmen and our nation will rally around and help, and we say thank you sincerely for the members of this body that have personally reached out and shown their care and support, we say thank you. It’s my understanding that there are supplies that are being sent and again, just a massive thank you from myself and for our constituents in McDowell County. McDowell County is resilient, we are a county that loves one another, and with each other’s help and help from our friends and neighbors across this great nation and this wonderful state, we will get through this and come back together stronger and better.”
Several bills moved through the House committee process and to the floor this week, including House Bill 2042, which would allow for a guardian ad litem to request a court-appointed special advocate for a child in neglect and abuse cases.
“The more favorable outcomes come out of these cases when CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) is involved,” said Delegate Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis, the lead sponsor of the bill. “CASA is a volunteer program, so we’re not talking about adding a bunch of staff and adding a bunch of dollars to our budget; we’re looking at community involvement, the opportunity to volunteer in abuse and neglect cases, and what we’re trying to do is get an extra set of eyes on our kids and in these cases.”
A total of 794 bills have been introduced in the House, and the last day to introduce bills is March 18. The 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight April 12.