— CHARLESTON — Republican delegates were champing at the bit to get some long-delayed action
on a number of proposals — from a homestead exemption increase to dropping the food tax.
About 15 uniformed sheriffs lined the committee room, hoping to see movement on a succession
proposal.
But the Wednesday meeting, if one can call it that, lasted less than a minute.
Constitutional Revision Chairman Joe Talbott, D-Webster, suddenly announced the meeting was
canceled.
His reason was that the Senate would take up the issue of letting sheriffs serve three straight terms rather
than the existing limit of two.
End of meeting.
Not, however, the end of the controversy.
Delegate Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, pointed out another GOP lawmaker, Delegate Cindy Frich, R-
Monongalia, was pushing a constitutional amendment to let voters decide the fate of the 5 percent tax on
groceries.
"I believe they did it intentionally," Blair said of the Democratic leadership. "They didn't have this
committee meeting intentionally, just like when they walked out last year when they didn't like what
happened."
Fayette County Sheriff Bill Laird tried to make light of the cancellation, saying, "It's kind of like having
your dance shoes and there's no dance."
But there was no humor in the matter for Clay County Sheriff Randy Holcomb.
"I didn't think very much of it," he said. "First of all, they moved the meeting up half an hour, and
second, before it ever got started, they canceled it. That inconvenienced a lot of sheriffs here today. We
spent a lot of time traveling. I traveled over 100 miles down and back to be here today. I don't think it
was a very correct thing to do."
Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell, was miffed by Talbott's announcement the Senate would take the
lead on the proposed amendment for sheriffs.
"We should have a meeting of this committee," she said. "That's what we're here for. We shouldn't
defer all action to the Senate. If that's going to be the case, we just need one legislative body, not two."
Sobonya wanted the panel to move out the proposed Marriage Protection Amendment that inserts into
the Constitution a clause defining wedlock as an act between "one man and one woman."
The marriage issue surfaced on the House floor when Delegate Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, wanted to
move the proposal out by discharging Talbott's committee. His motion failed on a 35-63 vote.
But there were other issues the panel left untouched, complained Delegate John Ovcrington, R-Berkeley.
Of prime interest to him was a proposed tax break for seniors that would raise the homestead exemption
to 50 percent.
Instead, he said, the only items on the agenda were the sheriffs succession proposal and a resolution
seeking to double delegate terms to four years, and extend a senator's time in office to six years.
"That's 189 people we were supposed to be meeting for while ignoring issues like the homestead
exemption that would affect literally hundreds of thousands of people in West Virginia," Overington
said.