by Sen. Mike Caputo and Delegate Kayla Young
Many aspects of our lives have changed in the past year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that this time of rebuilding can also be an incredible opportunity to put policies and programs in place to help West Virginians succeed. Despite the losses, there have been some opportunities to see silver linings in some of our processes — we have all been forced to try new things.
West Virginia can use this opportunity to help our kids succeed. Kids’ routines have been turned upside down. Many are hungry, and many are falling behind in school. We can fix this. We can establish and fund summer enrichment programs, feeding programs and afterschool programs to keep kids engaged and help them succeed. We can use one-time COVID-19 monies given to our state to enhance our community food pantries and to ensure kids have food year-round. House and Senate Democrats introduced bills that put West Virginia kids first, and the bills were not taken up.
West Virginia can use this opportunity to help our workers succeed. Instead of pushing policies that will harm West Virginia workers, we must create new opportunities for West Virginia residents to earn a good living here.
We can do this by supporting the Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan Fair Pay Act, a bill that will allow employees to discuss their own wages, and other policies that promote a sustainable living wage for all West Virginians.
We are weakening regulations to welcome out-of-state workers here at the expense of our own. HBs 2006, 2007 and 2008 gut regulations for skilled tradespeople across a variety of fields. SB 472 seeks to use the “least restrictive regulation” for our occupations. Who does this help? These bills show West Virginia workers that this Legislature does not care about them. We introduced bills to protect workers, and these bills died in committee.
West Virginia can use this opportunity to help our small businesses succeed. In addition to supporting brick and mortar businesses, we have to find creative ways to support those who have made their work flexible during the COVID-19 pandemic. We introduced bills to encourage remote work in West Virginia and to give aid to our local breweries and retail shops to weather this storm, and those bills were not taken up.
West Virginia can also use this opportunity to reevaluate our state’s correctional systems. The pandemic showed us just how dangerous having overcrowded jails are. With most of our occupants being held pre-trial because they cannot pay the debt, our counties are also drowning in debt from regional jail fees. We also need to continue to work to improve outcomes for individuals reentering society by removing barriers to employment. We introduced bills to ban the box, restore voter rights and expand reentry options, but those bills were not taken up.
The pandemic has shown us a lot of ways we can bring people back home, and welcome new residents to West Virginia. No one will want to come here or stay here without the tools to succeed in West Virginia. We can give them that if we are only willing to put people first.
Sen. Mike Caputo (D-Marion) is retired from the UMWA, a proud new grandfather and a member of the State Senate from Rivesville. You can reach him at (304) 357-7961 or mike.caputo@wvsenate.gov. Delegate Kayla Young (D-Kanawha) is an entrepreneur, proud mom to Zella and Milo and a member of the House of Delegates from South Charleston. You can reach her at (304) 340-3362 or kayla.young@wvhouse.gov.
