WHEELING — Union trades asked West Virginia lawmakers Wednesday to voluntarily submit to a drug test — and many of them did.

The West Virginia State Building and Construction Trades Council offered free drug testing to lawmakers “in an effort to educate them and remove the stigma that local workers can’t pass a drug test,” according to a released statement from the council.

The testing was conducted by a third-party professional company, with results expected to be released in about a week. The data will include the number of participating lawmakers separated by chamber with pass/fail ratios, though each participating legislator will receive his or her confidential results by mail.

Two bills currently before the legislature would mandate drug testing of lawmakers, with Delegate Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, introducing one of them — House Bill 2177.

Fluharty said he was told 31 of the 134 members of the legislature participated in the testing before it ended at 2 p.m.

“I’ve always said legislators should be drug tested and have introduced legislation to do so,” he said. “We need accountability and transparency in government. We pass laws requiring others to be drug tested who receive taxpayer money so it only makes sense we abide by the same rules.”

Also submitting to a drug test Wednesday was Sen. William Ihlenfeld, D-Ohio. He said the purpose of the testing by the West Virginia State Building and Construction Trades and was “to highlight worker safety.”

“And when they are offering lawmakers the chance to take a drug test, it’s important to participate and lead by example,” he said. “This is specifically important for people we expect to stay clean.”

“Legislators pass laws pertaining to drug testing. If we do that, we should be willing to stand up and take the test as well. So I ventured down, and participated.”

In addition to Fluharty’s bill, Ihlenfeld said a similar bill, Senate Bill 85 is pending in the Senate. Both measures remain stagnant in the respective judiciary committees.

“Senate Bill 85 would require all lawmakers to be drug tested, and it hasn’t been put on the agenda,” Ihlenfeld said. “Something like that would go even further to show we’re willing to lead by example, and willing to pass this bill.

“I’m not optimistic it will get any traction this session, but maybe someday it will become law.”

Delegates Errika Storch, R-Ohio, and Joe Canestraro, D-Marshall, both indicated through social media Wednesday they also submitted to the drug testing. But as House members continued extensive debate on an omnibus education bill, neither immediately responded to comment.