Candidates for Kanawha County's 8th and 17th senatorial districts presented a study in contrasts at Tuesday's meeting with Gazette editors.
Candidates for Kanawha County's 8th and 17th senatorial districts presented a study in contrasts at Tuesday's meeting with Gazette editors.
Delegate Corey Palumbo is looking to move to the upper chamber after six years in the House, while Rod Harless, a retired Dunbar city administrator, is making his first run for public office.
Palumbo, running for the 8th District seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Vic Sprouse, said he wants to continue efforts to help get the state's economy on course, and to pass meaningful ATV safety legislation.
Harless, who is challenging 17th District Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, in the May primary, said his issues are banning mountaintop removal mining, enacting election law reform, and opposing tort reform. He said the Chamber of Commerce is "trying to extinguish the right to sue."
Asked why he opted to run against Foster, regarded as one of the more progressive members of the Senate, Harless said, "I advocate prohibition of mountaintop removal mining, and he does not."
Harless noted that retiring Sen. Jon Blair Hunter, D-Monongalia, introduced a bill this session that would have banned mountaintop removal, but could not find any senators willing to sign on as co-sponsors.
"That tells me there is not a single senator in West Virginia now who will support the prohibition of mountaintop removal mining," Harless said.
Palumbo said he probably wouldn't sign on either, saying it is not economically feasible for the state to ban mountaintop removal.
The candidates also had differing views on the state's role in providing health coverage to 200,000 uninsured West Virginians.
Harless advocated for universal health care with a single-payer system, but said that will have to be done on a national level.
"I do not believe the Legislature can achieve that goal," he said.
Candidates for Kanawha County's 8th and 17th senatorial districts presented a study in contrasts at Tuesday's meeting with Gazette editors.
Delegate Corey Palumbo is looking to move to the upper chamber after six years in the House, while Rod Harless, a retired Dunbar city administrator, is making his first run for public office.
Palumbo, running for the 8th District seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Vic Sprouse, said he wants to continue efforts to help get the state's economy on course, and to pass meaningful ATV safety legislation.
Harless, who is challenging 17th District Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, in the May primary, said his issues are banning mountaintop removal mining, enacting election law reform, and opposing tort reform. He said the Chamber of Commerce is "trying to extinguish the right to sue."
Asked why he opted to run against Foster, regarded as one of the more progressive members of the Senate, Harless said, "I advocate prohibition of mountaintop removal mining, and he does not."
Harless noted that retiring Sen. Jon Blair Hunter, D-Monongalia, introduced a bill this session that would have banned mountaintop removal, but could not find any senators willing to sign on as co-sponsors.
"That tells me there is not a single senator in West Virginia now who will support the prohibition of mountaintop removal mining," Harless said.
Palumbo said he probably wouldn't sign on either, saying it is not economically feasible for the state to ban mountaintop removal.
The candidates also had differing views on the state's role in providing health coverage to 200,000 uninsured West Virginians.
Harless advocated for universal health care with a single-payer system, but said that will have to be done on a national level.
"I do not believe the Legislature can achieve that goal," he said.
"The only effective solution is for Congress to pass a universal health care law."
Palumbo offered a more modest solution, proposing expanding access to clinic-based primary care in the state.
"If we can get people into these kinds of environments on a preventative level, I think that would help," he said.
Palumbo and Harless agreed on a number of issues, including expanding state anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation, as well as the recent legislative pay raise.
Palumbo said he voted for the increase this session, after opposing it in caucus straw polls in previous years, for several reasons.
He noted that the increase will be the first in 14 years, and said he became concerned when he saw large numbers of incumbent legislators who have no opposition in the 2008 elections.
He said that either means the incumbents are doing a great job, or that would-be challengers decided they could not afford to make the sacrifice to run.
"That's not good for the future of West Virginia," he said.
Harless said he agreed with Palumbo and would have voted for the pay raises.
Foster did not attend the meeting, nor did Paul Gunnoe, who is running against Palumbo in the 8th District primary election.
To contact staff writer Phil Kabler, use e-mail or call 348-1220.
