At Cameron High School, Warner congratulated the school’s 44 seniors for achieving 100% voter registration ahead of the upcoming primary election. He presented the Jennings Randolph Award, named for the late U.S. Sen. Jennings Randolph, who successfully got the voting age reduced from 21 years old to 18 years old with the passage by Congress of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“Today is a proud day for Cameron High School, for this community and for the entire state of West Virginia,” Warner said. “Registering 100 percent of your eligible seniors is not just a milestone, but it’s a statement about responsibility and citizenship.”

Warner then announced that Cameron was now a Jennings Randolph Gold School. Seniors Danny Yoss and Carter Paczewski accepted the award on behalf of their class on stage.

Warner reminded the residents they could participate in early voting at the courthouse or vote on primary election day, May 12.

(Photo by Shelley Hanson) West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, center, poses with state legislators after presenting them certificates of thanks for approving HB 4191 related to child care. From left are Delegate Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke; Delegate Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio; and Sen. Laura Chapman, R-Ohio.

“In doing so you are participating in the nation’s greatest experiment; representative government completely selected by the people and for the people,” he said. “Registering to vote is the first step in the life of an American citizen who is fully engaged with their community, their state and their country. It’s a move from where you watch decisions being made to helping shape them.”

Jake Zirkle, history and civics teacher at Cameron, said he was proud of the students for all registering to vote.

“It’s a really great achievement,” Zirkle said. “Civic participation is the bedrock of everything we do in this country. And registering them as seniors, we have a much higher chance of registering them before they go out on their own. … This is the first step in getting them to participate civically for us.”

Warner also introduced Delegate Charles Sheedy, D-Marshall, who talked about his life of public service and why he wanted to continue that service as a delegate after retirement.

Later in Wheeling, Warner visited Holy Family Child Care & Development Center to thank local legislators for their efforts to get a child care funding bill passed by the West Virginia Legislature.

(Photo by Shelley Hanson) West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, front row center, poses with Cameron High School seniors after presenting the school with the Jennings Randolph Award for their voter registration effort.

Warner presented recognition to Delegate Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio; Sen. Laura Chapman, R-Ohio; and Delegate Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke for their work to get HB 4191 approved. The law provides additional tax credits to businesses that provide child care for employees. It also calls for the state to provide reimbursements based on a child’s enrollment instead of a daily rate.

Terra Crews, executive director of Holy Family Child Care & Development Center, also presented certificates of appreciation to the legislators. She also gave the group an “appreciation tour” of the facility hosted by the West Virginia Association of the Young Child.

“We’re just thanking our legislators for the bill that passed, which made history,” Crews said.

Holy Family is a nonprofit agency that receives state and federal dollars along with funding from local foundations and grants.

She said the daycare enrolls about 87 children annually, ages zero to 6 years old. Crews added there are plans to open a second location that will offer child care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

(Photo by Shelley Hanson) West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, at right, talks to Cameron High School students following his presentation of the Jennings Randolph Award for their voter registration effort. Also shown, at far left, is Delegate Charles Sheedy, R-Marshall.

Warner helped advocate for better child care across the state, said Tiffany Gayle, a WV Association of the Young Child board member.

“Secretary Warner has gone above and beyond to elevate the importance of child care here in West Virginia. … He joined us at child care day at the Legislature, standing alongside providers and families and advocates,” she said.

Gale noted he also traveled across the state to listen to people’s issues with child care.

Warner said he has five children and four grandchildren himself.

“I know for you this is child care, but for so many parents this is economic development,” he said. “You just think of the number of parents who could not be a part of the workforce if you weren’t doing what you’re doing.”

(Photo by Shelley Hanson) West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner presents the Jennings Randolph Award to Cameron High School seniors Danny Yoss and Carter Paczewski who accepted the award on behalf of their class. All of the school’s seniors registered to vote.

Fluharty said the state has a “child care crisis” and the new law is just “a step in the right direction.”

“It provides predictability moving forward for these child care facilities,” he said.

Chapman said when she was first elected child care was one of her priorities.

“I was so pleased to see that it passed in both chambers because it would always get hung up in one chamber or another,” she said. “This really is a workforce issue. … If people can’t find child care it’s difficult to find or sustain employment.”

Willis said it was important to pass the bill as child care is a forgotten about part of the state’s economic development.

(Photo by Shelley Hanson) Delegate Charles Sheedy, R-Marshall, talks about his lifetime of public service on Tuesday as West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, at right, listens. Also shown on stage Cameron High School seniors Danny Yoss and Carter Paczewski. Warner presented the Jennings Randolph Award for the school’s effort to register all of its seniors to vote.

“We can’t put people back to work if they don’t have anywhere to take their kids … to make sure they are safe during the day,” he said, adding having such facilities should increase “workforce participation rates.”