MORGANTOWN — The candidates seeking to represent the state Senate 14th District met with The Dominion Post Editorial Board to field some questions on the issues.
Incumbent Republican Dave Sypolt is retiring at the end of this year. Republican Jay Taylor, of Taylor County, and Democrat Amanda Pitzer, of Preston County, are vying to succeed him.
Pitzer has served as executive director of Friends of the Cheat for 12 years. She said she was prompted to run because no other Democrats within the district had stepped up, and no one representing Preston.
Often, she said, “When I go to vote there isn’t anyone that represents my values.”
Taylor said he’s been involved in politics for 30 years, serving on county and state executive committees. He spent time at the Capitol last session pushing for adoption of HCR 31, applying to Congress to call a convention of states to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
“I want to see what we can do to keep government out of our lives,” he said.
They fielded a question on their views of the rival tax-relief plans: the Senate’s plan to eliminate the tax on business inventory, equipment and machinery, and the vehicle property tax — if Amendment 2 is approved by the voters — and the House’s and governor’s plan to cut the personal income tax.
Taylor said, “I’m really excited about the tax-cut plans.” He’d like to take the whole state tax code and start over, favoring a consumption tax.
But on the plans at hand, he’s hoping for some meshing and cooperation and getting Amendment 2 passed to set the stage for further action. “I’m looking forward to getting more West Virginians’ own money staying in their own pockets.”
Pitzer said, “I think that they are quite ambitious.” She’s concerned about loss of revenue under the plans. The state currently has a big pot of federal COVID money is hasn’t been spending well.
“I don’t necessarily support either of them,” she said. “I’d think we have a lot of compromise and challenge ahead of us.” But counties need to maintain local control.
They took a question on how they would spend the spendable portion of the budget surplus — $1.3 billion last fiscal year and still growing.
Pitzer said, “I think we have immediate needs that we need to take care of.” Fixing the troubled foster care system is a high priority for her.
Also, “We have a hard road ahead of us as far as keeping young people here.” We need to modernize the economy, and have lots of leverage right now with federal money to do that — leveraging matching dollars for sewer, water and roads, for instance.
Taylor said, “I certainly want to see the state spend its money better.” Infrastructure is important, but the state does a poor job of fixing roads and has to fix them over and over. “Why can’t we fix it right the first time instead of wasting all the money?”
The state’s education system is top heavy, he said. “I want to flip that pyramid over, send it to the local schools.” He wants to change the School Building Authority to the School Maintenance Authority and shift from consolidation to maintaining local schools.
In the wake of the abortion law passed during the special session, they were asked what they would do to help mothers.
Taylor said all types of resources exist already, he would have to look into what more is needed. “I know we are a very supportive state.” Churches and charitable organizations do a wonderful job, he added.
Pitzer said she is an adopted daughter; her mom was a labor and delivery nurse in a Catholic hospital. “I have been very educated and engaged on this issue my whole life.”
She’d like to see expanded access to birth control. Charitable organizations do good work, but they’re overburdened and the volunteers are aging out, so there is more the state could do.
TWEET David Beard @dbeardtdp
EMAIL dbeard@dominionpost.com
