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OPINIONS
Delegate Doug Reynolds: Legislative session is off to a strong start
The 2008 regular session of the 78th Legislature has officially begun, and already the session is off to a great start. I am proud to serve the citizens of the 16th District for my second year as a delegate.
Gov. Joe Manchin addressed many topics and issues during his State of the State Address. The governor believes the advancements of "responsible government" are making the state an attractive place to live and do business, and I couldn't agree more.
Last year, the state's average unemployment rate was 4.6 percent, the lowest unemployment average in the state's history and lower than the national average. The number of West Virginians working in the last year averaged 778,269, the highest ever recorded. A recent business magazine report ranked West Virginia eighth in the nation for business recruitment and attraction. In addition, a recent report about each of the 50 states' pension liabilities praised the prudence of the governor and the Legislature.
To continue with job growth, the governor proposed a "Bucks for Jobs" initiative. This program will seek $50 million to fund West Virginia and Marshall universities in research to stimulate development to attract venture capital that will lead to jobs in emerging industries. I strongly commend Dr. Stephen Kopp and the Marshall Board of Governors on their leadership in pursuing this endeavor. I look forward to working with Gov. Manchin and our Speaker of the House, Richard Thompson, D-Wayne, a true champion for Marshall, in making this proposal a reality. This proposal represents the best opportunity to create the jobs of the future for the industries of tomorrow.
Health care is also an important issue, and changes that are beneficial to our state are on the way. Manchin proposed a first-in-the-nation program called Kids First. This program will guarantee medical checkups for all uninsured West Virginia children when they enter kindergarten with intentions of follow-ups in second, fifth and eighth grades. In addition, beginning Feb. 1, uninsured workers will be able to access free prescriptions at West Virginia Health Right through the formation of the WVRx program.
The governor also wants to improve education. The most effective program has been the PROMISE scholarship. However, with more students achieving higher grades and test scores, more students qualify for these limited number of scholarships. Consequently, the PROMISE scholarship has become a victim of its own success.
I have consistently opposed raising the requirements, thus cutting off many students who are often most in need. This is why I support Manchin's plan to require two years of work in the state after graduation or repayment of the scholarship. This will free up dollars for those who know they want a career inside the state while honoring the original intent of the scholarship by helping those needing and deserving.
In my first year, I sponsored and helped draft several pieces of legislation to help keep our children and community free from drugs. This is why I was so excited to hear $44 million has been received from the hard work of our State Police as part of an investigation led by federal prosecutors. The governor is proposing these new funds to help hire prevention resource officers for our schools. These individuals specialize in teaching our students to recognize the potential danger of drugs and how to respond to these dangerous situations.
Equally important, the governor wants to work with health care professionals to prevent prescription drug abuse and help those with drug addictions. Finally, I have seen firsthand the success of Circuit Judge Al Ferguson's drug court for juveniles here in Cabell County, and I look forward to working with the governor to increase these alternate resolution forums throughout the state.
Delegate Doug Reynolds, D-Cabell, represents the 16th District in the West Virginia House of Delegates. He can be contacted at (304) 340-3199 during the week or at (304) 634-1546 on weekends or late evenings. His e-mail address is delegatedoug@yahoo.com.
