West Virginia House of Delegates
86th West Virginia Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 10, 2024
Leadership
Roger Hanshaw (R)
since August 29, 2018
Paul Espinosa (R)
since January 11, 2023
Eric Householder (R)
since January 11, 2023
Sean Hornbuckle (D)
since August 8, 2023
Structure
Seats100
West Virginia_House of Delegates April_2023.svg
Political groups
Majority
  Republican (89)

Minority

  Democratic (11)
Length of term
2 years
AuthorityArticle VI, West Virginia Constitution
Salary$20,000/year + per diem
Elections
Plurality voting in single-member districts
Last election
November 8, 2022
(100 seats)
Next election
November 5, 2024
(100 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
House of Delegates Chamber
West Virginia State Capitol
Charleston, West Virginia
Website
www.wvlegislature.gov

The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates and in the states of New York, New Jersey, California, Nevada, and Wisconsin the lower house is called the Assembly.

Organization

Regular sessions begin with an organizational day on the second Wednesday of January of each year.[1] The length of regular session is limited to 60 calendar days.[1] The governor can call for special sessions.[1]

Delegates are elected for terms of two years.[1]

Legislative process

Delegates submit bill proposals to the Office of Legislative Services or legislative staff counsel, who draft the bill.[2] Once the bill draft is approved by the delegate, it is submitted for introduction.[2] Bills then undergo committee review and three readings in the house of origin and then the other house of the state legislature.[2]

An unusual feature of the West Virginia legislative process is that revenue bills can originate in either house.[1] The state constitution also prohibits multiple subjects in a single bill.[1]

If approved by both the West Virginia House of Delegates and the West Virginia Senate, bills are submitted to the governor, who may sign them into law or veto them.[1] State legislators can override the governor's veto of bills with a simple majority vote of both houses, unless the bill is a revenue bill, in which case two-thirds of the members elected to each house are required to override the governor's veto or line-item veto.[1]

Membership

Historical

Affiliation (Elected) Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Republican Other
81st Legislature Begin 54 46 100 0
81st Legislature End 53 47 100 0
82nd Legislature Start 36 64 100 0
82nd Legislature End
83rd Legislature Start 36 63 100 1 (Independent)
83rd Legislature End 36 64 100 0
84th Legislature Start 41 59 100 0
84th Legislature End 41 58 100 1 (Independent)
85th Legislature Start 24 76 100 0
85th Legislature End 22 78 100 0
86th Legislature Start 12 88 100 0
April 11, 2023 11 [note 1] 88 99 0
April 17, 2023 10 89[note 2][3] 99 0
April 27, 2023 11 [note 3] 89 100 0
May 19, 2023 11 88[note 4] 99 0
June 5, 2023 11 89[note 5] 100 0
August 30, 2023 11 88 [note 6] 99 0
September 8, 2023 10[note 7][4] 88 98 0
September 13, 2023 10 89[note 8] 99 0
September 19, 2023 11[note 9] 89 100 0
October 6, 2023 11 88[note 10] 99 0
October 12, 2023 11 87[note 11] 98 0
October 26, 2023 11 88[note 12] 99 0
October 31, 2023 11 89[note 13] 100 0
December 22, 2023 11 88[note 14] 99 0
January 2, 2024 11 87[note 15] 98 0
January 9, 2024 11 88[note 16] 99 0
Latest voting share 11.1% 88.9%
  1. ↑ Danielle Walker (District 81) resigned to become leader of the ACLU of West Virginia.
  2. ↑ Elliott Pritt (District 50) changed party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.
  3. ↑ Anitra Hamilton (District 81) was appointed to succeed Danielle Walker.
  4. ↑ Erikka Storch (District 4) resigned.
  5. ↑ Diana Winzenreid (District 4) was appointed to succeed Erikka Storch.
  6. ↑ Michael Honaker (District 46) resigned after his appointment as the inspector general of the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security.
  7. ↑ Doug Skaff (District 57) resigned.
  8. ↑ Jeff Campbell (District 46) was appointed to succeed Michael Honaker.
  9. ↑ Hollis Lewis (District 57) was appointed to succeed Doug Skaff.
  10. ↑ Charlie Reynolds (District 6) resigned to assume a position with the West Virginia Division of Highways.
  11. ↑ Riley Keaton (District 15) resigned to assume a legislative role in the administration of Governor Jim Justice.
  12. ↑ Jeffrey Stephens (District 6) was appointed to succeed Charlie Reynolds.
  13. ↑ Erica Moore (District 15) was appointed to succeed Riley Keaton.
  14. ↑ Moore Capito (District 55) resigned to focus on his 2024 gubernatorial campaign.
  15. ↑ Caleb Hanna (District 48) resigned to focus on his 2024 campaign for State Auditor.
  16. ↑ JB Akers (District 55) was appointed to succeed Moore Capito.

District organization

Prior to the 1970 Census, districts always respected county lines, with districts always consisting of either a single entire county, or several entire counties. Beginning with that year, the state began to use smaller geographic areas.

In response to the 2010 Census, the Legislature was required to redistrict, with the Democratic Party in control. The Republican Party, and groups from the growing eastern panhandle and Putnam County were among those calling for 100 single member districts. Eventually redistricting was adopted, which divided the state into 67 districts, of which 47 were one-member districts, 11 two-member districts, 6 three-member districts, 2 four-member districts, and 1 five-member district. The five-member district, covering most of Monongalia County, remained among the ten largest multi-member lower house districts in the country.

In response to the 2020 Census, the Legislature was again required to redistrict, this time with the Republican Party in control. The Legislature abandoned the practice of multi-member districts and divided the state into 100 single member districts. Each district contains about 1/100th of the state's population, or about 17,500 persons. These changes took effect with the 2022 election.[5]

Speaker

The Speaker of the House is selected by its members. In contrast to the tradition of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Speaker must vote unless excused. The House rules state that in some cases, the speaker is not required to vote unless the House is equally divided, or unless the speaker's vote, if given to the minority, will make the division equal. In the latter case, the question is lost.

Members

86th Legislature party leadership

PositionNamePartyDistrictCounty
Speaker of the House Roger Hanshaw Republican 62nd Clay
Speaker pro tempore Paul Espinosa Republican 98th Jefferson
Majority Leader Eric Householder Republican 96th Berkeley
Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle Democratic 25th Cabell
Majority Whip Marty Gearheart Republican 37th Mercer
Minority Whip Shawn Fluharty Democratic 5th Ohio

Committee chairs and ranking members

Committee Chair Minority Chair
Agriculture and
Natural Resources		 Agriculture Ty Nestor Ric Griffith
Natural Resources Chuck Horst Evan Hansen
Banking and Insurance Banking Trenton Barnhart Larry Rowe
Insurance Steve Westfall
Economic Development and Tourism Gary Howell Vacant
Education Joe Ellington Vacant
Energy and Manufacturing Bill Anderson Evan Hansen
Finance Vernon Criss Larry Rowe
Fire Departments and EMS Phil Mallow Vacant
Government Organization Chris Phillips Kayla Young
Health and Human Services Amy Summers Mike Pushkin
Jails and Prisons David Kelly Joey Garcia
Judiciary Tom Fast Joey Garcia
Pensions and Retirement Marty Gearheart Vacant
Political Subdivisions Carl Martin John Williams
Prevention & Treatment of Substance Abuse Matthew Rohrbach Vacant
Rules Roger Hanshaw Sean Hornbuckle
Senior, Children, and Family Issues Margitta Mazzocchi Vacant
Technology and Infrastructure Daniel Linville John Williams
Veteran Affairs and
Homeland Security		 Veteran Affairs Roy Cooper Ric Griffith
Homeland Security D. Rolland Jennings Mike Pushkin
Workforce Development Evan Worrell Kayla Young

Current members

Current House composition by district:
  Held by Democrats
  Held by Republicans
District Delegate Party Since Residence Counties represented[6]
1 Pat McGeehan Republican 2014 Chester Brooke, Hancock
2 Mark Zatezalo Republican 2020 Weirton
3 Jimmy Willis Republican 2022 Wellsburg Brooke, Ohio
4 Diana Winzenreid Republican 2023 Wheeling Ohio
5 Shawn Fluharty Democratic 2014 Wheeling
6 Jeffrey Stephens Republican 2023 Wheeling Marshall
7 Charles Sheedy Republican 2022 Cameron Marshall, Wetzel
8 David Kelly Republican 2018 Sistersville Doddridge, Tyler, Wetzel
9 Trenton Barnhart Republican 2019 St. Marys Pleasants, Ritchie, Tyler
10 Bill Anderson Republican 1992 Williamstown Wood
11 Bob Fehrenbacher Republican 2022 Vienna
12 Vernon Criss Republican 2016 Parkersburg
13 Scot Heckert Republican 2022 Parkersburg
14 Dave Foggin Republican 2022 Belleville Wirt, Wood
15 Erica Moore Republican 2023 Spencer Roane, Wirt
16 Steve Westfall Republican 2012 Ripley Jackson
17 Jonathan Pinson Republican 2020 Point Pleasant Jackson, Mason
18 Jim Butler Republican 2022 Gallipolis Ferry Mason, Putnam
19 Kathie Hess Crouse Republican 2021 Buffalo Putnam
20 Geoff Foster Republican 2014 Winfield
21 Jarred Cannon Republican 2022 Hurricane
22 Daniel Linville Republican 2018 Milton Cabell
23 Evan Worrell Republican 2018 Barboursville
24 Patrick Lucas Republican 2022 Barboursville
25 Sean Hornbuckle Democratic 2014 Huntington
26 Matthew Rohrbach Republican 2014 Huntington
27 Ric Griffith Democratic 2020 Kenova Cabell, Wayne
28 Mark Ross Republican 2022 Prichard Wayne
29 Henry Dillon Republican 2022 Fort Gay Mingo, Wayne
30 David Adkins Republican 2022 Hamlin Lincoln
31 Margitta Mazzocchi Republican 2020 Chapmanville Boone, Lincoln, Logan
32 Josh Holstein Republican 2020 Ashford Boone
33 Jordan Bridges Republican 2020 Logan Logan
34 Mark Dean Republican 2016 Gilbert McDowell, Mingo
35 Adam Vance Republican 2022 Brenton Wyoming
36 Vacant Republican McDowell
37 Marty Gearheart Republican 2020 Bluefield Mercer
38 Joe Ellington Republican 2010 Princeton
39 Doug Smith Republican 2020 Princeton
40 Roy Cooper Republican 2012 Wayside Monroe, Summers
41 Jordan Maynor Republican 2021 Beaver Mercer, Raleigh, Summers
42 Brandon Steele Republican 2018 Beckley Raleigh
43 Chris Toney Republican 2018 Beckley Raleigh, Wyoming
44 Todd Kirby Republican 2022 Beckley Raleigh
45 Eric Brooks Republican 2022 Mount Hope Fayette, Raleigh
46 Jeff Campbell Republican 2023 Lewisburg Pocahontas, Greenbrier
47 Todd Longanacre Republican 2020 Caldwell Greenbrier, Monroe
48 Vacant Republican Greenbrier, Nicholas, Webster
49 Heather Tully Republican 2020 Summersville Nicholas
50 Elliott Pritt Republican 2022 Oak Hill Fayette
51 Tom Fast Republican 2014 Fayetteville
52 Larry Rowe Democratic 2014 Malden Kanawha
53 Chris Pritt Republican 2020 Charleston
54 Mike Pushkin Democratic 2014 Charleston
55 JB Akers Republican 2024 Charleston
56 Kayla Young Democratic 2020 South Charleston
57 Hollis Lewis Democratic 2023 Charleston
58 Walter Hall Republican 2022 St. Albans
59 Andy Shamblin Republican 2022 Nitro
60 Dana Ferrell Republican 2020 Sissonville
61 Dean Jeffries Republican 2018 Elkview
62 Roger Hanshaw Republican 2014 Wallback Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer
63 Lori Dittman Republican 2022 Gassaway Braxton, Gilmer
64 Adam Burkhammer Republican 2020 Horner Lewis, Upshur
65 Carl Martin Republican 2018 Buckhannon Upshur
66 Ty Nestor Republican 2020 Elkins Pocahontas, Randolph
67 Elias Coop-Gonzalez Republican 2022 Elkins Pendleton, Randolph
68 Chris Phillips Republican 2018 Buckhannon Barbour, Upshur
69 Keith Marple Republican 2022 Lost Creek Harrison, Lewis
70 Mickey Petitto Republican 2022 Clarksburg Harrison
71 Laura Kimble Republican 2020 Bridgeport
72 Clay Riley Republican 2020 Shinnston Harrison, Wetzel
73 Amy Summers Republican 2014 Flemington Marion, Taylor
74 Mike DeVault Republican 2022 Fairmont Marion
75 Phil Mallow Republican 2020 Fairmont
76 Joey Garcia Democratic 2020 Fairmont
77 Joe Statler Republican 2020 Core Monongalia, Wetzel
78 Geno Chiarelli Republican 2022 Morgantown Monongalia
79 Evan Hansen Democratic 2018 Morgantown
80 John Williams Democratic 2016 Morgantown
81 Anitra Hamilton Democratic 2023 Morgantown
82 Debbie Warner Republican 2022 Morgantown
83 George Street Republican 2022 Masontown Preston
84 D. Rolland Jennings Republican 2017 Thornton
85 John Paul Hott Republican 2018 Petersburg Grant, Tucker
86 Bryan Ward Republican 2020 Fisher Hardy, Pendleton
87 Gary Howell Republican 2010 Keyser Mineral
88 Rick Hillenbrand Republican 2022 Romney Hampshire, Mineral
89 Darren Thorne Republican 2022 Romney Hampshire, Morgan
90 George A. Miller Republican 2020 Berkeley Springs Berkeley, Morgan
91 Don Forsht Republican 2020 Gerrardstown Berkeley
92 Michael Hite Republican 2022 Martinsburg
93 Michael Hornby Republican 2022 Martinsburg
94 Larry Kump Republican 2022 Falling Waters
95 Chuck Horst Republican 2020 Falling Waters
96 Eric Householder Republican 2010 Martinsburg
97 John Hardy Republican 2018 Shepherdstown Berkeley, Jefferson
98 Paul Espinosa Republican 2012 Charles Town Jefferson
99 Wayne Clark Republican 2020 Charles Town
100 William Ridenour Republican 2022 Harpers Ferry

    See also

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 West Virginia Constitution, West Virginia Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)
    2. 1 2 3 How a Bill Becomes Law, West Virginia State Legislature (accessed May 29, 2013)
    3. ↑ Ben Wilson (April 18, 2023). "Another One: Fourth Democrat State Legislator Switches Party in a Month". Washington Free Beacon.
    4. ↑ "Doug Skaff resigns from W.Va. House of Delegates". September 8, 2023.
    5. ↑ "Bill Status - Complete Bill History".
    6. ↑ "House Select Committee on Redistricting 2021" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates.

    38°20′9.8″N 81°36′41.5″W / 38.336056°N 81.611528°W / 38.336056; -81.611528

    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.