When most West Virginians think about the Legislature, they picture the elected officials. They see floor speeches, committee debates, press conferences, and the occasional viral moment on social media.
What they do not see are the dozens of people who make the institution function.
The legislative process does not run on microphones and voting boards. It runs on staff.
Every year, when the session gavels in, a small city quietly appears inside the Capitol. It includes full-time professional staff, attorneys, researchers, clerks, assistants, committee staff, interns, and per diem workers who temporarily leave their regular jobs and families to spend two months living inside a schedule that very few outsiders would tolerate. For sixty days, mornings start early, evenings end late, and weekends largely disappear.
The public sees a calendar. It is the staff who live the marathon. Legislators propose ideas. It is the staff who turns them into law.
‘They prepare agendas, track amendments, coordinate witnesses, produce fiscal information, and keep lawmakers from unintentionally contradicting themselves between committees.’
Before a single bill is introduced, legislative attorneys and the bill drafting staff are already at work. A legislator walks in with a concept. Sometimes it is a paragraph on paper. Sometimes it is a sentence spoken in a hallway. Occasionally, an idea forms during a conversation with a constituent at a grocery store or at a ballgame.
The staff then translates that thought into statutory language that must fit into existing West Virginia Code, interact with federal law, avoid unintended consequences, and still accomplish the goal. It requires legal precision and practical understanding.
If a comma is in the wrong place, the law can fail its intended purpose. If a reference cites the wrong section, a bill can crash and burn. The public never notices when it works. Everyone notices when it does not.
Committee staff then take over. They prepare agendas, track amendments, coordinate witnesses, produce fiscal information, and keep lawmakers from unintentionally contradicting themselves between committees. They brief members who are handling dozens of bills simultaneously. They remind legislators what they voted on last week and what they have promised in the past.
Clerks manage the formal procedures that keep the House operating in accordance with constitutional rules. Pages, assistants, and interns move documents at a pace that looks invisible to the gallery but is constant to anyone on the floor. The technology staff maintain the systems and the livestreams so citizens across the state can watch their government in action. Budget analysts evaluate cost impacts that often determine whether an idea lives or dies.
‘I don’t think some of them ever sleep. There definitely is some truth to that, especially during the session. Before sunrise, schedules are already being coordinated.’
I don’t think some of them ever sleep. There definitely is some truth to that, especially during the session. Before sunrise, schedules are already being coordinated.
Then there are the per diem staff. These are often the unsung heroes of the session. Some may be former members who just want to come back on their terms. Some are retirees looking for a little socialization and fun to take the edge off the winter. Some take vacation time from their regular jobs. Some relocate temporarily to Charleston. But all work long hours for sixty days because they care about the institution and believe in public service.
They may draft bills. They may answer phones, coordinate meetings, and schedule public hearings. Many of them solve problems before legislators even know they exist.
They do all of this while remaining largely invisible. Staff does not campaign. They do not debate publicly or take the credit. Their job is to make elected officials successful, regardless of party or ideology. The Legislature changes membership every election cycle. It is the staff who provides continuity.
In the House of Delegates, coordination itself is a full-time undertaking. Hundreds of moving parts must align daily. Committee schedules change. Amendments appear without warning. Floor sessions run late. Constituents call constantly. Lobbyists wait. The media asks questions. Leadership needs answers immediately.
Members need information five minutes ago. That is where experience matters.
Anyone who has spent time in the House knows the quiet command center behind the scenes. They are the people who somehow know where everyone is supposed to be and when they are supposed to be there. If you pay attention, you will know too.
When the session ends and legislators return home, the Capitol becomes quiet again. The small city disappears.
‘When the session ends and legislators return home, the Capitol becomes quiet again. The small city disappears.’
I don’t think some of them ever sleep. There definitely is some truth to that, especially during the session. Before sunrise, schedules are already being coordinated. Late at night, someone is still solving problems, rerouting members, answering questions, and making sure the next day runs smoothly. When a committee room changes at the last minute, action is taken. When a member of leadership is double-booked, it gets fixed.
When confusion threatens to slow the process, it gets diverted.
The public rarely hears the names, yet they directly benefit from the work. A functioning House floor, an orderly calendar, and a session that finishes on time do not happen by accident. They happen because someone is constantly managing the details others never see.
Legislators vote and debate. Staff enables governance.
The truth is simple. Without legislative staff, there is no Legislature. Bills would not be drafted properly, committees would not function properly, the calendar would collapse, and the public would lose access to a working representative government. Elected officials bring policy direction and accountability. Staff brings structure and execution.
Public service is often defined by the people on the ballot. It should also include the people who make government work day after day without recognition. They do not seek applause. They do not receive headlines. Most West Virginians will never know their names.
Yet every bill that is passed, every program that receives funds, and every reform enacted carries their fingerprints.
When the session ends and legislators return home, the Capitol becomes quiet again. The small city disappears. The credit goes to those elected, as it should in a representative democracy. Still, it is worth remembering that under the dome, success is a team effort.
Some of the most important members of that team never stand at a podium.
