Legislative Update… By Lori Dittman WV House of Delegates 63rd District

Interim meetings started Sunday, April 14th and will conclude on Tuesday, April 16th. Before my first committee meeting, I attended a rally for families for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) wavier. The Wavier Program allows people with disabilities to live in their own homes and communities and to reach the highest level of independence. During the session, the program received a ten percent cut in the 2025 Budget. Some legislators are calling for spending to return to current levels. On the agenda for the Joint Committee on Health, there will be a discussion on the Medicaid budget, 2023 expenditures, waivers, and the effect of current proposed cuts. Also on the agenda is a discussion on childcare.
I attended the Joint Committee on Education. Dr. Sonya White, Deputy Superintendent of the West Virginia Department of Education, presented action items for implementing 2024 Legislative Acts and a booklet, The Green Book, summarizing public education bills enacted during the 2024 Regular Session. That resource can be viewed online by searching WVDE 2023 Greenbook.
Also, this past week I attended the State of the Corridor meeting in Buckhannon and heard from leaders from Lewis, Upshur, and Randolph counties. Although Corridor H is not finished, it does have the potential to benefit our district. As economic opportunities develop and grow in one area, it will help those areas around it. One of the questions that was asked was, “Where do you want your community to be in ten to twenty years?” I had to ask myself that same question for our district. I wonder how each of you in the district would answer that question. Working together and sharing ideas and resources along with a vision will be needed to make our dreams a reality.
Monday, I along with our middle school students got to experience the eclipse. I would like to thank the Burnsville Public Library for providing viewing glasses for all of us. I enjoyed the celestial experience and seeing pictures from around our state and the country.
On Saturday, ramp season commenced for me at the Sutton Moose. Will and I had a delicious dinner. He does not like ramps, so I always eat his portion. My neighbor, Sammy Dobbins, gave me my first bag of ramps of the season. If you missed the dinner at the Moose, the Frametown Volunteer Fire Department has one scheduled for May 6th. A quick search will find more dinners and festivals devoted to that wild leek. West Virginia is the heart of this Appalachian tradition. Enjoy some ramps before they are gone!
Congratulations to Dr. Mark Sarver on his appointment as Mayor of Glenville. I look forward to working with him and learning more about the opportunities he sees for the town.
I would like to extend my condolences to the family of Brenda Arbagrite Dobbins. Brenda was effervescent. She was light and happy, and you could not leave her presence without a smile. She will be missed by so many.
We experienced another round of storms this past week. Thank you so much to those who work tirelessly to restore power and clean up debris.
These storms that come are like the stormy periods we have in life. Storms come and go, but our strength together helps us endure.
“When a storm blows, you must stand firm. For it is not trying to knock you down; it is really trying to teach you to be strong.” (Joseph M. Marshall III)
I look forward to hearing from people in the district and hope to see you out and about enjoying all the great things our area has to offer. I can be contacted at [email protected] or 304-701-8600.