MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 60-day legislative session gets underway Wednesday in Charleston and John Williams, D, Monongalia, 80, is open minded, but yet has an agenda of his own in Republican controlled state government.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Williams said road maintenance and the statewide funding formula and clean up the Private Outdoor Designated Area (PODA) ordinance. Changing some of the language that excludes some types of businesses or areas is needed to allow additional municipalities like Morgantown to participate. Providing state retirees a cost of living increase is also something Williams plans to work toward during this session.
“When you retire from state government you do so not having to look back and not have to maybe go back to substitute teaching as many teachers will be forced to do or get a job at Walmart,” Williams said. “If you do your service to the state you ought to be able to retire well and without worry.”
Williams noted this will be the eighth State of the State address for Williams and he said there have always been surprises and theater, but he wants to know more about state budget plans in a post coronavirus environment with no federal dollars.
“I’m hoping also that he’ll elaborate on LG Electronics coming to West Virginia,” Williams said. “I’ll certainly have my ears pealed and hope that Morgantown will get the lion’s share of those jobs.”
As a Democrat, Williams said he has priorities that represent his district and maybe not so much a partisan effort that he wants to work wuth all lawmakers on regardless of party affiliation.
“If you acknowledge your differences, and certainly they exist you can then have a building block forward to show you’re someone who’s there to work,” Williams said. “You’re not going to let those differences get in the way of helping on other issues.”
Rather than a focus on “culture war” issues he wants to return government to a focus on serving the people and meeting the needs of business. Providing the conditions for the state to grow population and businesses while improving quality of life should be priorities of all lawmakers.
“I have my beliefs as a Democrat certainly, I wouldn’t be a Democrat otherwise,” Williams said. “But, I don;t let those get in they way who I am as a person, John Williams to try to help my area.