Photo courtesy of WV Legislative Photography State Sen. Ryan Weld wants to make sure the state Department of Highways is held accountable for issues happening in the Northern Panhandle.

WHEELING – He has bills ready to go already, but West Virginia Senate Majority Whip Ryan Weld suspects the most important thing he does during the upcoming legislative session “might not be anything legislatively.”

Weld, R-Brooke, intends to pressure State Department of Highways officials for more information and movement on local road and bridge projects.

“I want to be assured the DOH is held accountable for the projects going on in the Northern Panhandle,” he said. “I also want to make certain that they are communicative and do a better job of informing the public of what is happening, because they have not been doing that.

“I don’t feel the DOH has done a good job of communicating issues – not just to elected officials, but to the public at large.”

Weld’s push comes following the separate closures recently of two bridges in the Northern Panhandle. The Market Street Bridge in Follansbee was closed in late December following an inspection of its cables, and the Jennings Randolph Memorial Bridge in Chester was closed for repairs earlier in the month.

Both bridges connect West Virginia with Ohio over the Ohio River. Motorists crossing state lines now must use the new Wellsburg Bridge that opened in September.

Weld noted there is also “a significant streetscape project happening in downtown Wheeling,” and he hopes he can press the DOH to provide more information to the public about actions as they take place there.

When lawmakers convene in Charleston this month, Weld also plans to meet with DOH officials to discuss where they are on the construction of a second interchange at The Highlands.

There’s also a lot of talk about the rising cost of living and inflation in the state, according to Weld.

“We’re going to be looking at ways to compensate retirees for cost of living adjustment,” he said. “It’s something we absolutely need to be looking at.”

Weld in 2024 plans to rework legislation he passed into law that set benchmarks for managed care providers of substance abuse rehabilitation services.

At issue is the data collected that measures the successes of individuals going through treatment that is being paid for through Medicaid, Weld explained.

“Often, we have to go back and do tweaks after we have passed legislation,” he explained. “We want to make sure we are doing all we can to help people rehab themselves while using taxpayer money efficiently and getting the best results we can..”

Weld said there are bills he wasn’t able to get past the finish line during previous sessions that he wants to sponsor again in 2024.

One of these is legislation that creates the felony offense of aggravated animal cruelty. Under the bill, people who intentionally and maliciously abuse will be held liable, according to Weld. He is hoping to get it completed this year.

Weld also crafted legislation since the last legislative session that was inspired following the disappearance and death of a K-9 officer in Kanawha County. It would add protections for K-9 officers, and he plans to introduce it this session.

Presently, if a K-9 officer suffers abuse by a defendant while on the job, there is no criminal provision that can be applied. This is not the case in nearby Ohio and in many other states, where an assault on a K-9 officer carries the same punishments as abuse of any law enforcement official.

“West Virginia should join the ranks,” Weld said.