VIRTUAL TOWN HALL. Please join me for a virtual town hall on Tuesday, March 1, at 530pm. I welcome all constituents to ask questions about what’s going on at the legislature. To participate, click on the Zoom link on my social media, email me, or call me. We will get you signed up. All the info will also be on www.baldwinforwv.com.
ANTHONY CORRECTIONAL CENTER. Earlier this week, I met Anthony Correctional Center Superintendent Robert Neal and the Department of Corrections. They provided me with an update on the rebuilding plan. Construction activities will begin this summer. Phase one of the project will involve rerouting all the electrical, HVAC, etc out of the main building (which will be demolished) into a central location to allow the other buildings to remain “online.” Phase two will be the demolition of the main building which has the mold issue. Phase three will be the rebuild. The entire process will take years. This fall, I plan to host a community meeting in White Sulphur Springs so that the plan can be shared in detail with the community for feedback and information. Many thanks to Superintendent Neal and his staff for their hard work.
PAY RAISES. The 5% pay raise (on average) for public employees passed the Senate unanimously. The raise is for all public employees. I voted yes. The raises are a step in the right direction. Salaries in surrounding states for the same jobs remain significantly higher, so we need to keep working to become more competitive. Also, a raise for public employees also benefits the private sector in WV as folks have more to spend with local businesses.
BROADBAND FUND BILL. The Senate took up a bill creating a new broadband fund this week. Why is this bill important? Because we can begin to fund open-access broadband projects out of it. What is open-access broadband? Fiber lines that different companies can tap into, thereby increasing competition and decreasing prices. Open-access broadband lines are the future. We need to be ready for the future, as it’s coming down the pike very quickly.
DEPUTY SHERIFFS. Last week, I was honored to meet with sheriff’s deputies from across southern WV to talk about how we can support them with recruitment and retention issues. SB489 is up for passage in the Senate this week, and it clarifies that deputy sheriffs are to receive a $60 raise for every year of service automatically. HB4624, which would have helped improve funding for deputy sheriff’s retirement accounts, likely died yesterday when House leadership refused to put the bill up for a vote. This is a real shame, as it was another small but important step in helping our deputies like the pay bump.
LIBRARY COMMISSION. I voted against SB524 this week, which reorganizes the state library commission. For example, the bill reduces the qualifications for the state librarian, removes the commission’s independent status and puts them under a political appointee, and reduces the size of the commission. After hearing from local librarians that these changes were bad for libraries, I opposed the bill. Local libraries provide valuable community services and should remain independent from the political process.
AGRITOURISM. Agritourism is a growing segment of rural economies. Farmers open their land to visitors for corn mazes, hay rides, or pumpkin patches, for example. It helps farmers make a living while also educating the public about the importance of agriculture. It also presents challenges for neighbors of the agritourism operations. Several bills are in motion to make it clear that 1) agritourism sites are protected as agricultural operations, 2) local residents deserve protection of their property rights, and 3) local governments can regulate certain things like noise and traffic. These interests are not mutually exclusive; we can all work together in rural America as good neighbors.
That’s the view from the back pew, where it is my privilege to serve you. Don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to serve you and your family!
Senator Stephen Baldwin is the Minority Leader and a local pastor. Reach him at 304-357-7959 or stephen.baldwin@wvsenate.gov. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @BaldwinForWV.
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Rev. Stephen H. Baldwin, Jr.
