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A state delegate representing Wirt and part of Wood County has introduced a resolution calling for the state to reduce the size of its Legislature by half.
Del. Shannon Kimes, R-Wirt, recently introduced House Joint Resolution 29, which, if passed by two-thirds of both the House and state Senate, would put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot to decrease the House membership to 50 and the Senate to 17.
Kimes said he wants the state government to focus on economic growth, not growth of government spending and programs.
"Before the Legislature tries to convince the judicial and executive branches of government to control spending, it needs to start in its own bodies," he said.
The average state senator represents 154,400 people; West Virginia senators represent 54,500, Kimes said. A West Virginia delegate represents 18,530 people. Doubling each would still result in Mountain State lawmakers representing about two-thirds of the national average of constituents, he added.
Kimes said he would gladly give up his seat "if it is a small catalyst to the journey we must take if we ever want to make progress with our state."