The West Virginia Senate Government Organization Committee has approved a trio of bills introduced by Gov. Patrick Morrisey aimed at reshaping the state’s executive branch. On Thursday morning, the committee recommended House Bills 2008, 2009, and 2013 for full Senate consideration.
HB 2008 proposes to return the Department of Economic Development to its former place under the Department of Commerce. This shift would remove its current cabinet-level status, instead placing the division under the leadership of Department of Commerce Secretary Matt Herridge. A Senate amendment to the bill also eliminates a House provision that would have moved law enforcement officers from the Division of Natural Resources to the Department of Homeland Security. Concerns about federal funding requirements for wildlife protection led to that section being dropped.
HB 2009 would dissolve the Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) and move its responsibilities to the Department of Tourism, which remains under Secretary Chelsea Ruby. The change follows the retirement of Randall Reid-Smith, who led the department after its 2018 rebranding from the Department of Education and the Arts.
Senator Brian Helton (R-Fayette) voiced support for the restructuring:
“I personally have worked with Chelsea Ruby in the Department of Tourism. They do a fantastic job… It’s going to help us be a lot more effective, a lot more efficient.”
Advertisement
Both bills also include a significant change in employment policy—starting in July, new hires and promoted employees within the Departments of Commerce and Tourism would no longer be covered by the state’s traditional civil service protections.
HB 2013 goes even further, exempting future hires and promoted workers in five key state departments from civil service status and grievance protections. These departments include the Bureau of Senior Services, Department of Administration, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Revenue, and the Department of Veterans’ Assistance.
All three bills reflect Gov. Morrisey’s broader initiative to streamline and “right-size” state government. As part of his agenda, Morrisey signed several executive orders in January aimed at identifying inefficiencies, cutting redundancies, and evaluating department-level spending.
As these bills advance to the full Senate, debates are expected to focus on the long-term impacts of removing civil service protections and reshuffling longstanding departmental structures.
