Lawmakers serving in both chambers of West Virginia Legislature have been briefed on how the in-person regular session will begin in fewer than two weeks, and Del. Erikka Storch (R-3rd) feels the implemented precautions may help with more than Covid-19.
The Legislature had just completed last year’s regular session when the pandemic began with Gov. Jim Justice halting the state high school girls’ tournament at the Charleston Arena, and lawmakers were not called to the state capital for monthly interim sessions or a special session since. Storch did visit Charleston one day last week to be sworn in to serve her fifth term representing the residents of the Third House District, and she is preparing for the regular session that begins on Feb. 10.
“Based on what was explained to me, this session is going to be very different from any other I’ve experienced, and that’s because it has to be that way. So, the North Gallery will be set for the delegate who want more space from each other, and the South Gallery will be available for the delegates who are not interested in wearing a mask or are unable to because of health conditions,” Storch explained. “Now, if you are on the House floor, you have to wear a mask, and the only people who are permitted on the floor are the legislators and key personnel.
“We are going to use only the House Chamber and one more area for committee meetings to allow for social distancing, and those meetings will take place at various times because of the number of committees that we have in the House,” she continued. “That means that each time the House is in session, I will need to make sure I wipe down by desk and chair because it’s likely I won’t be the only person who sits there on any given day.”
Covid and the Crud
Although the flu numbers in West Virginia have been very low during the month of January and the coronavirus count has decreased the last couple of weeks, according to the state Department of Health and Human Resources, Storch plans to stay away from every sniffle, sneeze, and wheeze.
But that’s not unusual.
“I believe it’s a solid plan that’s been developed and that it will allow us to feel safe while representing our district,” Storch said. “Plus, there’s going to be as lot less people who will be permitted into the Capitol, and that will be a good thing and a bad thing because we’ve always had a lot of people from the Northern Panhandle come to Charleston to visit, and that was always fun to interact with them.
“This pandemic is now 10-months old, so it’s my hope my colleagues have learned how to go about life without putting themselves at risk of infection. I know I do, and that’s why I use hand sanitizer even after fist bumping someone,” Storch said. “Not only do I hope to avoid Covid-19, but also to the illness that is widely referred to as the ‘Capitol Crud.’ That’s a bug that seems to circulate through the Legislature every year, and I’ve always been careful not to expose myself to that.”
But (knock on wood) the Ohio County delegate has remained germ free during her time in Charleston since first elected by the district’s residents in 2010.
“A lot of lawmakers miss sessions because of the ‘Capitol Crud’ every year because of how many of us there are, because of how closely we’ve worked together, and because some lawmakers attend those sessions without even knowing they have it and can spread it,” Storch said. “With Covid-19, we know that someone who has it can be asymptomatic for days before feeling some of the symptoms, and it seems to be the same with the ‘Crud.’”
“I never really thought I would ever be able to say that I own a collection of masks,” she said. “But that’s where we are these days because of the virus. I just hope that now that vaccinations are taking place that we can finally get through this before the end of the year. If the vaccine supply increases, then maybe it will be sooner.”
