MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After sixty days of deliberation, debate and voting, the 2022 West Virginia Legislative Session is officially in the books.
With the end of the session, West Virginia State Senator Bob Beach reflected on what he considered a “calming” sense, with what he is calling his last days in the legislative chambers, with his move to run for the Monongalia County Commission expected to take place after the session.
“You know for me it was pretty calming, I did have some family with me, and it was just a pleasant evening and looking forward to whatever else I get into later on,” said Beach on his final day in the legislative chambers in Charleston.
One piece of legislature that Beach has been very vocal about this legislative session, has been a potential merger between Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community College and Technical Institute. Beach, was a major proponent against the merger, but was supportive of a compromise measure which would’ve allowed the technical aviation program run by Pierpont at the North Central West Virginia Airport to become a part of Fairmont State, who technically leases out hangars at the airport for their own respective aviation program. While no real changes were approved legislatively, Beach hopes a solution can be reached so that a merger is not considered necessary.
“What I would rather see is that everyone come to the table again and agree on some modifications to the original MOU (Memorandum on Understanding,” said Beach on what he hopes happens next in the Pierpont Technical and Fairmont State discussions.
Beach also stated he was very observant of measures that included the privatization of services for state parks and a change to West Virginia’s unemployment benefits, which were reduced from twenty-four weeks, to twelve. Much like the potential Pierpont Technical and Fairmont State merger, Beach was against both of those measures, with several constituent concerns given to him over the parks bill in particular. While both of those measures passed in some way shape or form, Beach reaffirmed his vote in legislative chambers.
“Quite honestly that was, for North Central West Virginia, that was probably the largest one that I received emails on was that particular bill,” said Beach on WAJR’s Talk of the Town regarding the state parks bill. “Wanting me to vote no, and I did but unfortunately there was only six others on my side of the bill who voted with me on that,” he said.
Even though Beach has officially finished his final regular legislative session in Charleston, he stated that there is a strong possibility that he will have to continue his work in the West Virginia State Senate for the near future. He stated that odds are very high that a special session will be called, so certain measures such as the controversial Critical Race Theory (CRT) bill and the fifteen week abortion bill which would prohibit abortions after that time frame. So while the majority of Beach’s work appears in Charleston appears to be in the rearview, he’s ready to go another round on legislation before he officially moves on from the West Virginia State Senate.
“The Critical Race Theory bill, basically dealing with the Anti-Racism bill, it’s nickname, that failed to get out of there last evening,” said Beach. “Maybe we’ll be looking at the fifteen week abortion bill, because that too didn’t make it out of there,” he said.