Leadership: Lawmakers face tremendous burden
West Virginia lawmakers chose their leaders for the upcoming sessions of the state Senate and House of Delegates Sunday, and the burden on those two men is enormous.
Del. Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, and state Sen. Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, were chosen by their peers to lead their respective houses of the legislature, but also to work with Gov.-elect Jim Justice — a Democrat and political newcomer whose ideas about turning around West Virginia’s financial woes are very different from those held by Carmichael’s predecessor, former state Senate President Bill Cole.
Carmichael said that where lawmakers do not find areas of agreement with Justice “we’ll move forward.” That may happen often, and legislators may find it necessary to stick to their guns.
Meanwhile, there will be work to do inside their own chambers. Armstead found out last year that a Republican majority does not mean everyone agrees on the best way to get things done. In fact, he will again this year have to fight against extremes on both sides of the aisle that threaten to derail important work with their agendas.
Carmichael, too, will have to be as strong as Cole was, and as deft in reaching compromise and organizing consensus. The stakes are too high for either leader to be weak in his role.
For now, both appear to be up to the task; and should be congratulated on earning the respect of their fellow lawmakers in such a difficult time. The Republican majority in Charleston is no longer new. While there is still much digging out to do, after more than 80 years of Democratic rule, the groundwork has been laid for moving forward.
West Virginians eagerly await Armstead’s and Carmichael’s effort to do so.