A sectional couch just might be the most comfortable piece of furniture an individual can own.
BUT.
The sectional couch also is one of the most awkward pieces of furniture when it comes to helping a friend move from one home to another.
BUT.
If you’re a resident who lives within the borders of the 6th House District – an area that includes cities such as Benwood, McMechen, Glen Dale, and Moundsville – W.Va. Del. Jeff Stephens believes people help people … and yes, even with such ginormous furnishings.
Stephens insists it’s a Marshall County thing, and it represents one of a plethora of reasons why he’s proud to be a native, an educator, and the House of Delegates ouse representative for a district that includes both urban and rural neighborhoods full of citizens fighting with their local lawmaker for an improved future.
That’s why the Delegate supported a number of bills that may not have made for splashy and flashy headlines during the state Legislature’s regular session but still will provide building blocks for a better economy while keeping an accountable eye on public education.
“I love doing the job the voters elected me to do,” Stephens said. “And I’m asking them to send me back so I can continue that fight.”
How would you describe the efforts made in the House of Delegates to concentrate on improving the state’s economy during the recent regular session?
This was the major focus this year in the House of Delegates. We called it the “Jobs First Opportunity Everywhere” agenda. We passed the Recharge West Virginia Act, which will allow businesses to receive up to $50,000 to train their employees in advanced skills. In turn the employer would give these employees raises in their salaries based on the skills gained through the training.
The “Skills to Work Act,” was also passed to allow students aged 16 and older to earn credits and certifications through classroom instruction and on the job training.
There was also a 5 percent reduction in the state income tax that was passed, putting money back in people’s pockets.
What steps would you like to take to protect West Virginia’s public schools students when it comes to technology in the classroom?
First, we need to look at limiting screen time for students. There is a correlation between student scores, grades, and behaviors based on screen time on not only their personal devices, but school issued devices as well. We, in the Legislature, have already taken the step of getting students cell phones out of the classroom. We now need to look at ways we can limit the screen time that we are assigning them through schoolwork.
This definitively needs to be limited, but it also has to be done in a responsible manner, where students are introduced to proper technology use.
Next, is making sure we hold the software and textbook companies responsible for the content they are creating. We need to make sure that the material they are creating and providing is at a level the students can handle and understand. I introduced bills this past session that would have completed both tasks.
The bills didn’t gain much traction, and I was told that this will be a topic of our discussions during our interim meetings this year before next session.
What part of lawmaking is your favorite part?
There are many parts of being in the House of Delegates that I enjoy. My favorite part about the lawmaking process is working with different people from all across West Virginia. It’s interesting to learn about the fields that they work in and the knowledge they have to give about any topic, whether it be medical care, law enforcement, military, education, small business, any and all type of industries are represented.
But you not only get to know about their work, you also get to know about them as people, about their families where they grew up, that could be in West Virginia born and raised or moved here at some point and what brought them here.
Another, which I guess gives me two favorite things, is working with constituents on bills. This could be their ideas becoming possible laws. Or just as important: reaching out to constituents about proposed bills and hearing their opinions on them and how it could help the people of Marshall County. This is more of being a Delegate in general, but helping constituents with personal matters is something that I’ve found to be one of my favorite things that I get to do overall in my position.
What do you miss most when you are away from your home in Marshall County for the regular, 60-day session in Charleston?
There are many things that I miss while I am in Charleston. My dog, of course, would be one of the top things on my list that I miss. She is in good hands, though, because my dad stays at my house with her while I’m gone. He gives her too many treats and spoils her, but that’s ok.
Being away from my kids at school and my co-workers is tough as well. I did get to come back for the Snowball Dance, the kids were very excited to see me, making me realize why I teach. I left a scavenger hunt for my “puzzle club” teachers, which I think they enjoyed while I was away.
And last but certainly not least is my friends and family. I try to meet up with them when I come home for the weekends, but sometimes it is difficult. I did get to go out to dinner with my sister one Saturday, it was very nice to catch up and have a relaxing dinner and good conversation.
How do you describe District 6 and the people who live in it?
District 6 and Marshall County is a place that is near and dear to my heart. I was born here, raised here, work here, have lived here my entire life, and never plan on leaving.
Being a coach in Marshall County for two different sports over 30 sports seasons and teaching here for nearly 12 years, I would say that I have a good perspective of the place and the people.
I would describe Marshall County as close to a Norman Rockwell painting as possible, warm and homey. We have great communities that give people a great safe place to live and raise a family. The people are helpful and very supportive to friends and strangers alike.
The best way to describe it would be to ask someone in Marshall County to help you move a sectional couch, something that no one likes to do. Not only would they help you move it, but they would also ask if you needed to borrow their truck to haul it.
I’m not sure there’s a word for that, so I guess we can just call it, “Being Marshall County”.
