State Senators Jeff Kessler and Ed Bowman are right to be disappointed about this year's regular session of the West Virginia Legislature. Several major bills - some of them of great importance - were debated at length but not passed.
We agree with Kessler, D-Marshall, that one of the biggest failures involved legislation about public schools. With so much good work being done by Mountain State educators, it is, to use Kessler's word, "unsatisfactory" that lawmakers did not come to agreement on measures to improve schools.
Bowman, D-Hancock, and Kessler reviewed the legislative session during appearances this week before the Downtown Business Association of Weirton. Both cited a variety of priorities that were not addressed adequately by the Legislature.
One education bill, to ensure that all public school students receive the 180 days of instruction mandated by state law, was of particular importance, Kessler said. "If our economy and our state are going to move forward, we have to require more education," he emphasized.
He is right about that. He also is correct to place blame for failure of the bill on the House of Delegates. A reasonable measure was approved by the state Senate - but was amended drastically in the House. Because of that, the legislative session ended before final action could be taken on the bill.
It - and other issues involving public schools - should not be forgotten. Gov. Joe Manchin has said that some education proposals may be on the agenda for the special meeting of the Legislature later this month.
We encourage lawmakers to take up the 180-day plan and other important school-related bills during that session. They are too important to be allowed to languish for another year, until the Legislature's next regular session in early 2010.