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(Notes from the Capitol – Graphic illustration/MetroCreative)

Last week, Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey provided the press and public with an overview of his transition plans for the next two months as he prepares to move into the Governor’s Residence on Kanawha Boulevard East in Charleston.

It’s an interesting sentence to read again: a governor who will actually reside in Charleston as required by the Constitution and live in the governor’s residence. What a thought!

Morrisey spoke to the media at an in-person open press conference – again, it’s incredible to write this – announcing his seven-person transition team, two consultants who will provide additional advice and landing teams to begin examining how multiple state departments and agencies operate.

These landing teams will also examine several key areas of public policy and help Morrisey develop an ambitious 100-day agenda once he is sworn in on January 13, 2025. This will include legislation that will be ready for consideration by the lawmakers during the 2025 Legislative Session beginning later in February.

There are 57 days until the inauguration and 87 days until the start of the Legislature’s 60-day annual session. So, let’s just say there are 147 days until the 2025 legislative session ends at midnight on April 12. That’s not a lot of time to do a thorough review of the entire operations of state government and then turn around and present a series of bills to pass.

However, Morrisey is a tough guy. He and his fellow Republican lawmakers know they have a unique opportunity to finally remake state government the way they always wanted it. They have the opportunity to change the internal culture of these departments and agencies, for better or for worse.

It will be up to your West Virginia state press corps to carefully examine what Morrisey and lawmakers plan to do. They’re going to make mistakes along the way. But as a public policy enthusiast, I’m really intrigued by what we might see in the weeks and months to come.

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Some key dates to keep in mind: New U.S. senators can be sworn in by Jan. 3, meaning Gov. Jim Justice could resign before then. It would also mean that Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, would have to briefly serve as Senate president acting as governor (yes, that’s the real title, although Senate president pro tempore would be fine for a second reference). However, Justice could wait to resign until Morrisey is officially sworn in on January 13.

The Legislature will vote on January 8 to open and publish the election results, as well as to formally elect the majority and minority leadership teams of the House of Delegates and the Senate. Don’t expect any changes at the top in the House, with Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, likely staying put. A new majority leader and majority whip will need to be selected, and new chairs of key committees will need to be appointed.

But all eyes are on the state Senate, which will have to select a new Senate president (who could briefly serve as Senate president acting as governor unless Justice waits to resign his post for governor until Morrisey is sworn in on January 13).

The choices are now narrowed to three: Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha; Senate Finance Committee Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam; and Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee Chairman Randy Smith, R-Tucker.

Both Takubo and Tarr are close members of Blair’s leadership team, but they represent different political spectrums. While both consider themselves conservatives, Takubo tends to be more of a Chamber of Commerce type conservative who arrived during the tenure of former Mercer County Senate President Bill Cole. Tarr, whose path to the Senate is interesting and unusual, has been the Senate’s fiscal hawk and certainly more socially conservative than Takubo.

Smith is the wild card. He’s certainly more right-wing than Takubo and even Tarr. Although he presents himself in his speeches as a plain-spoken coal miner and grandfather, behind the scenes he has a reputation for being stubborn and short-tempered.

You could see these three cornering their fellow senators in the hallways during last week’s interim legislative meetings. The Senate Republican caucus also met last week to finalize the ground rules for selecting the next president at its meeting on Sunday, December 8.

The Senate Republican caucus has been divided for some time, and this has become visible during the COVID pandemic. The situation has only gotten worse since 2022. There is a side of the caucus made up of traditional conservatives more focused on economic issues than anything else. Then there are those who have become more passionate about social issues. These two factions have clashed behind closed doors and sometimes in the Senate itself.

Between now and December, you’re going to see a lot of haggling. Committee chairs, vice chairs and even a proposal to authorize the examination of certain legislative texts – all these options are on the table.

I can assure you that I will be outside the Senate chamber on December 8, waiting for the metaphorical white smoke that will signal that a new Senate President has been chosen.

Steven Allen Adams can be contacted at [email protected]